Mr Grinch
by Sierra Sitruc
Summary: A Christmas Fic, set to finish sometime around Christmas. LJ with a small dose of LoveHate. Grinch-y-ness for good measure! James admits his hatred for Christmas and Lily's decided to MAKE him like Christmas. COMPLETE
1. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters, or the setting.

_Summary: A Christmas Fic, set to finish sometime around Christmas. Short-ish. L/J with a small dose of Love/Hate--Grinch-y-ness for good measure! James admits his hatred for Christmas and Lily's decided to MAKE him like Christmas ... _

_**A/N Well, I'm making a Christmas Special...So to speak. Maybe it'll cure my writer's block! Blame my Christmas birthday!! I've always wanted to write a nice happy Christmas fic! Wish me a happy birthday! I turn 15 this Christmas!**_

_**A/N Starts off a bit angst-y, but it gets better. This IS just the prologue.**_

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**Mr. Grinch **

_James Vs. Christmas. Will James Potter Finally Get In the Christmas Spirit?_

By 

_Sierra Sitruc_

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year 

_It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year   
With the kids jingle belling  
And everyone telling you "Be of good cheer"   
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year   
It's the hap -happiest season of all  
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings   
When friends come to call   
It's the hap - happiest season of all   
  
There'll be parties for hosting   
Marshmallows for toasting   
And caroling out in the snow   
There'll be scary ghost stories   
And tales of the glories of   
Christmases long, long ago   
  
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year   
There'll be much mistltoeing   
And hearts will be glowing   
When love ones are near   
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year   
  
There'll be parties for hosting   
Marshmallows for toasting   
And caroling out in the snow   
There'll be scary ghost stories   
And tales of the glories of   
Christmases long, long ago   
  
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year   
There'll be much mistltoeing   
And hearts will be glowing   
When love ones are near   
It's The Most Wonderful Time   
It's The Most Wonderful Time   
It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year _

_**Prologue**_

1st Year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; 

The Evening of December 24, 1971

_ "Hey Remus, want to go help decorate the common room Christmas tree?" An 11 year old James Potter asked of his friend, Remus Lupin, as he walked into their dorm and spotted Remus on his bed, covered up in blankets with a pillow over his head. _

_"No thanks...I'm not feeling so good," Remus said coming up from under the pillow. He did look sick. He was paler than usual and he just laid limp on his bed. _How many times had this boy been sick?_ James wondered. "I think I'll go see Madame Pomfrey soon."_

_ "Oh, okay--you sure? Is the blizzard getting to you?" James asked, it seemed a sensible reason--cold=sick Remus...But then again, most everything equaled a sick Remus._

_ "Yeah, must be all the snow--made me sick." The other boy shrugged._

_ "I'll walk you to the Hospital Wing," James offered, and Remus nodded mutely and got up from his bed. "If you want I can arrange for Peter, Sirius and I to stay down there with you, so you won't be all alone--I'm sure Madame Pomfrey will understand._

_ "No! I mean...It's okay, just come see me in the morning...Not too early though--around nine will be nice," Remus said hurriedly. James raised a curious eyebrow._

_ "...Okay then," he said slowly. "I'm sure all the owls will find you alright for Christmas."_

_ "Yeah, probably," Remus said, nodding as they climbed through the portrait hole. _

_ ~*~_

_ Later, James informed his two other friends of where Remus would be staying on Christmas Eve._

_ "The poor bloke, all alone on Christmas Eve--with Madame Pomfrey!" Sirius said shaking his head._

_ "What do we do? We can't leave him all alone the whole evening," Peter said, worried over his friend. _

_ "Well...He said to just visit him in the morning..."_

_ "Let's just sneak in and stay the night with him--or at least let him open his presents a bit early," Sirius suggested. "I mean, alone on Christmas Eve with Madame Pomfrey as company!"_

They all shuddered at the prospect.

_ "Yeah, let's hurry--before anyone can miss us." James said, nodding towards the common room, several people had stayed for Christmas, more so then usual. Lily Evans said she stayed because she didn't want to argue over presents with her older sister--but they all thought it was because she wanted to torture the Marauders with her singing and crazy decorations. They'd of course, snuck in the night before and opened all her windows in her dorm--letting in piles and piles of snow from the blizzard--just to get her back for all the annoying singing. A little over done._

_ They arrived at the Hospital Wing, and stopped when they heard voices. "Let's get moving Remus, it's almost time."_

_ "I know, hold on a second--I can't find my extra pair of shoes..." There was muffled noises as Remus, apparently searched for his shoes._

_ Something that night, made the three boys jump back and hide in the shadows--not making their presence known. Remus and Madame Pomfrey came out, cloaked heavily._

_ James, Sirius and Peter shared a look and immediately put their Marauding skills to work, following the two. _

_ The rushed through the maze of Hogwarts' hallways, and out onto the grounds--it was almost dusk, it was very cold and their breath came out in thick clouds. They were shivering a lot because it was far below freezing and they'd brought no cloaks. They stuck to the shadows, hiding around trees and walls, so Pomfrey nor Remus would see them. It was like a hunt, and they were the prey and the hunters at the same time._

_ They watched Remus and Madame Pomfrey arrive at the Whomping Willow. "What--?" Peter started to say, but James and Sirius immediately hushed him, by tackling his mouth with four hands. _

_They watched as the tree stilled, and Madame Pomfrey took Remus' cloak, and several layers of his clothing. All three observers were very curious to know what was going on, and their curiosity only increased when Remus went _into_ the tree._

_ At that point, James, Sirius, and Peter were dumbstruck to speechlessness--but that didn't exactly matter, because it's not like they were going to use this ability anyway._

_ As Madame Pomfrey left, James took off running--Sirius and Peter right behind him. The tree started moving just as he was at the trap door--he heard Sirius and Peter cry out as they were struck by branches, but James ignored the pain he felt, and made it through the trap door, right before it closed on it's own. _

_ James knew immediately, that this had been a bad idea. Sirius and Peter were trapped outside and he was trapped inside--with several cuts on himself from the beating the Whomping Willow had given him._

_ "Remus!" He called, wondering what was going on--so many unanswered questions were in his mind. "Remus!?" He yelled, racing through the dark, cold tunnel. _

_ "J-James?" A soft voice met James' ears._

_ "Yeah, it's James! What's going on Remus!?" James yelled, bumping into a wall--darkness overwhelming the passageway._

_ "JAMES! Go back! It's dangerous!" Remus screamed, his voice frighteningly loud for the boy who was so quiet and mild tempered 24/7..._

_ "Then YOU should get out of here too!" James said, panic beginning to fill him, his heart pounded in his chest, but he kept moving towards Remus blindly in the dark. _

_ "Please, James! Please! Go back!" Remus' voice sounded petrified now, but farther away--like he was running away from James. _

_ James rushed faster on, and he could have sworn he heard something shut. That's when it came to him--that he had a wand. "Lumos!" A light came on, and a gloomy, dirty tunnel was revealed to him. "REMUS!" James found himself at a closed door, he banged on it for a few minutes, before discovering what he had to do, "Alohomora!" _

_ The door opened and James barged in and found Remus lying on a sofa, curled up in pain. James briefly noticed that the sofa was very mangled up._

_ "Come on Remus! Let's get out of here!" James urged. "What are you doing here, anyway--."_

_ "James! Please leave!" Remus looked like he was in severe pain, his face was crunched up and his eyes were shut tight. "I...I'm a werewolf James! Go!" _

_ "What--? No! Remus--please!" James didn't know why he was so panicked, but he knew something awful was about to happen, and he wanted to get his friend out of this room. "Let's just get out of here together--."_

_ "Don't you hear what I'm saying!?" Remus cried, his voice hoarse. "I. Am. A. Werewolf! I, will KILL you in about a minute! I'm transforming--It's a full moon!" _

_ "I don't believe you!" James yelled, furious--Did Remus even know what he was saying? James knew quite clearly, that something life threatening could happen--he just wanted his friend out of there, and yet--he didn't even think that his friend could be that life threatening being._

_ Then James watched--Remus was sprouting hair up and down his body. Remus yelled out in torture as James saw fangs forming in his mouth, blood spewing from the boys gums._

_ James' eyes bulged out of his head, and he stumbled back in fright--so Remus really WAS a werewolf. James looked about and saw a set of stairs. He ran up them two at a time, and ran down the hallway of the house and leaped inside a room and locked the door, casting every securing spell he knew--which amounted to about three, still hearing Remus' cries, and something that sounded like ripping skin..._

_ He then started piling furniture in front of the door, a dresser, a night stand from by a bed._

_ James then sat on the edge of the bed--terrified. _

_ He heard a bunch of noises--screaming, a lot of screaming, and then stomping as the werewolf that was Remus, tore up the stairs. James pulled his knees up to his chest and started rocking and crying as the werewolf scratched and banged on the door, shaking then entire room. _

_ That was the night, James Potter decided that Christmas was a terrible holiday--he hated it. Everything about it. All that night he ticked off in his head all the down points of Christmas._

_ By morning he was a full out Christmas hater._

_ Nothing good ever came from Christmas...He tried to keep good cheer, but how can someone be cheerful, when they've almost been killed on that very day?! _

_ An 11 year old can only have so much logic about them--and it made sense to James Potter, that if he was almost killed on Christmas--and that one of his best friends was in that much pain on Christmas--that he should hate it, and hate if fully and whole heartedly._

_ The wolf didn't make it through his barrier (though it tried thoroughly) and when James chanced a peak out, when the sun had come out Christmas morning, there was Remus--lying on the ground--bloodied up and savage looking--but human._

_ James knelt down beside his friend, and bawled like a young child. _

_ Madame Pomfrey came up the stairs and gasped at what she saw. "Mister Potter! Thank your lucky stars you are alive to see your 11th Christmas!" She scolded, but her tone of voice led on to believe that she'd thought James had been murdered in the night. _

_ Later, James met up with Sirius and Peter and they all cried--forgetting to act like 'men'. They'd almost lost one of their best-friends, but through it all, the only thing they really lost--was their love for Christmas._

_ Logic never made sense to them anyway..._

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**A/N I hope you like this....If the reviews go up really fast, I'll post the first chapter as soon as it reaches 20--if it doesn't reach 20, I'll post it...Probably around Saturday or Sunday. **

**I know...I have high standards, but I can't help it. I'm just like that. So PLEASE review!!! I worked my butt off on this story, and I want to get some feedback!! Please, pretty, pretty please?? I know this isn't much, because it IS just a prologue. **

**I'm very, very, very anxious to know how people react to this...*sigh* I'm just expecting too much of everyone... My other stories have been having trouble getting updated because I feel like I'm not writing to my full potential...**

**This part just shows why James hates Christmas--well, he doesn't hate it as much as you'll think...But, just review and then read the next chapters!!  
**

** Chapter 1:**

**Lily enters the scene, and a good way to describe her--is like an elf. She loves Christmas to pieces. What happens is, she mentions getting an odd 'gift'. Then Lily and James get stuck decorating the halls of Hogwarts together, and something funny happens and Lily freaks. **

**_*~Sierra~*_**


	2. Carol of the Bells

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the cutie boys...Or anyone else for that matter! But anyway...you get the point...JKR and Warner Brothers...Scholastic and all those people own Harry Potter and I don't.

**_A/N 20 Days until Christmas...20 days until I turn 15..._**

**_'Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best'--Chudley Cannons motto._**

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**Mr. Grinch **

_James Vs. Christmas. Will James Potter Finally Get In the Christmas Spirit?_

By 

_Sierra Sitruc_

To set the mood... 

Carol of the Bells 

_"Hark how the bells,   
sweet silver bells,   
all seem to say,   
throw cares away   
  
Christmas is here,   
bringing good cheer,   
to young and old,  
meek and the bold,   
  
Oh how they pound,   
raising the sound,   
o'er hill and dale,   
telling their tale,   
  
Gaily they ring   
while people sing   
songs of good cheer,   
Christmas is here,   
  
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,   
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas,   
On on they send ,   
on without end,   
their joyful tone to every home   
Dong Ding dong ding, dong Dong..."_

**Chapter 1**

12 Days Until Christmas

There were only 12 days until Christmas left and every Hogwarts student was getting antsy, none more so of course then Lily Evans. Her dorm room (much to her room mates' distaste) was covered with _muggle_ decorations--lights, ornaments, little pine trees, wreaths, miniature Santa Clauses and his deer etcetera, not to mention her clothing. Everyday you could expect to see Lily decked out in red or green--not counting her hair and eyes- Christmas was definitely her season.

Then of course she had her wizarding additions to the decorations...The most annoying being a singing candy cane that sprouted legs and danced about whenever a Christmas tune was hummed or sang around it...Which was very frequently with Lily around.

Everyone was used to this of course, the first years had already gotten accustomed to it and the only ones annoyed by this, were presumably...The Slytherins and the Marauders. Now the Slytherins hated anything a muggleborn Gryffindor did, and the Marauders hated anything a Lily Evans did.

If you wanted an explanation on why anyone could hate cheerful fifteen year old Lily, you'd get this. 

It started back in 3rd year when competition was getting fierce in Quidditch and grades...No one beat James Potter in those two areas. Until young Lily Evans dared to challenge him. Her grades topped his and her Quidditch skills matched his perfectly.

Ever since then, James referred to Lily as the snobby stuck up nerd and the Marauders faithfully loyal, backed him up. Lily didn't care, she was just glad someone had finally put him in his place, even if it had to be her.

_Jingle... _

_Jingle..._

_Jingle!_

_"_Oh no." Sirius Black moaned loudly, in the Gryffindor Common Room. "Here comes Evans with her--'decorations'." He pointed out to Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and James Potter--the Marauders. There was Lily Evans coming down from the girls' dormitories, today bells were tied up in her hair and every step she took a little_ jingle_ was heard--okay, a very loud jingle. 

A few people laughed and Lily stumbled in the room with an odd look on her face. Normally she was all smiles and giggling by now-- but that morning she looked deep in thought--and not to be disturbed.

So of course, James had to interrupt her mood. "Evans, going for the sleigh horse look today?" 

Lily looked at him for a second before saying, "Happy Christmas to you, too, Mr. Grinch." 

James couldn't say much to that except, "Who's Mr. Grinch?" He demanded. "What kind of insult is that?!"

Several muggleborns laughed, and Lily took it to her heart to explain. "The Grinch, is a muggle--story thing. He hates Christmas and tried to steal it." 

Peter looked appalled. "What?! Steal Christmas?"

"It's okay Pete--it's just a story." Sirius said, reassuring him--Sirius himself was a muggleborn.

Peter sighed and looked relieved--he did enjoy his presents. "I wouldn't_ think _of stealing Christmas...I'd just ruin it." James said grinning wickedly.

Lily glared. "Don't be such a poor sport, just because you don't get any presents--."

"I get plenty of presents, thank you very much. I have more friends then you!"

"Sure you do, Mr. Grinch." Lily grinned, and James wrinkled up his nose.

"It's not fair to insult someone when they don't know how your insulting them!"

"It's not much of an insult...Unless you think being called a green hairy beast with no heart is an insult." Lily twittered. Crossing her arms and smirking.

"Well, that's fine with me, because I don't think that's an insult." James snapped. Lily just quirked an eye brow at him. 

"Really, you need to take muggle studies." Lily sighed and started to walk away, when suddenly a loud squawking sound came from the stairway and Lily cringed. 

Suddenly a small speckled bird came flapping down the stairs and landed right on Lily's shoulder. Clawing at her in the process.

The entire common room laughed and Sirius yelled out. "Where's your pear tree Evans?!" 

"Upstairs actually." Lily said solemnly, it only made Sirius laugh harder. Lily's best friend Olivia Sprocket suddenly showed up looked flustered.

"Sorry Lils! It escaped when I was coming down!" Olivia squeaked, trying to remove the bird from her friend's shoulder. 

"It's okay Olive, I don't know_ WHAT_ we're going to do with it." Lily sighed.

"May I inquire where it came from?" Remus said tentatively, speaking for the first time. 

Lily snorted, "My guess is, it's somebody's idea of a joke."

"Or somebody wants to be...Your true love." James quoted the song 'The 12 Days Of Christmas', laughing. 

Lily and Olivia glared viciously, "James don't be an arse." Olivia spat, she detested James Potter for the way he treated Lily--for no reason at all. 

"Hey, at least I'm not the one with a pet partridge in my room." James said, grinning and he and his friends retreated from the room.

"He's just jealous because no one admirers _him_." Olivia said knowledgably. Lily nodded vaguely along. She was very curious to find out who would send her a partridge in a pear tree, she secretly wished that someone sent it out of admiration, but the chances were it was a joke gift from James.

Then the two headed off to breakfast, Lily continuing to jingle and the partridge was locked inside the common room.

As they enter the Great Hall--the first thing Lily heard was James' voice loudly saying how much he hated Christmas.

Lily was of course appalled that anyone could even _think _of hating Christmas. It was the best day of the year! He'd better have a good excuse--because Lily Evans was about to confront him.

"James!? How could you HATE Christmas!?" Lily growled, and James looked up at her blinking stupidly.

"Easy. I just do." Several people gasped. Imagine, the girl who loved Christmas was confronting the boy who hated Christmas. 

Lily just gaped at him for about 10 seconds, completely speechless. Finally she managed to stutter out, "H-how--w-what? WHY!?"

"Because, Christmas is just an excuse for people to get all happy and cheery and spend their money, and all that other materialistic junk, that's why." James said grumpily.

"James Potter! Christmas isn't about that! Christmas is about love--and being with family and--."

"My family's dead." James said coldly and Lily shut her mouth in an instant.

She spoke again but softly, "Sorry...But that doesn't give you a good excuse for hating Christmas."

James looked up at her, focusing his bespectacled gaze on her intently. "No, it doesn't." 

There was no more speaking between the two for the rest of the meal.

**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^**^^**

There was a prefect meeting that day, so Lily found herself trapped beside James. His constant taunting and teasing was enough to drive anybody crazy--but Lily was not anybody, she liked to think of herself as--_somebody._

"Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells." Lily sang loudly, drowning out James' "Jingle Bells, Evans Smells." James could be very immature when he wanted to be. 

"Quiet down, prefects!" Roger Billycans, the Head-Boy shouted over the noise in the room. "Now, getting down to business." He said after everyone got quiet. "How many of you are staying here this Christmas?" Lily and James raised their hands and when they discovered they were the only ones doing so, they both felt their tempers rise. 

"Good, since there are at least two prefects here, I won't have to stay." Roger said happily.

"Stupid Billycans." James grumbled, slumping in his seat.

"It's not his fault. Where's you Christmas spirit James?" Lily whispered to him.

"In my other pants." James answered. 

Lily rolled her eyes. "You are pathetic."

"I never said I wasn't." Lily rolled her eyes again. 

"Don't forget--since you two are here, you are in charge of ALL the students and keeping up regulations." Lily and James were very happy almost all the students went home for Christmas. They would only be in charge of about--15 students--20 tops. "This also means--you are in charge of helping Flitwick with the decorations."

Lily grinned and James groaned. 

"Flitwick assigned you two all the hallways and staircases--balconies...And of course the bit of trim everywhere outside. He covered everything else."

"What else is there?" James muttered.

"The Great Hall, all the classrooms, the common rooms--oh well, you two have to do the Gryffindor Common Room too--sorry."

"Ack!" James said grimacing.

"'Tis the season to be jolly James!" Lily said brightly.

"'Tis the season to kill Lily, Evans." James hissed back. Lily just smirked and they went up to collect things they would need to use to decoration the castle. 

"How many boxes--." Lily began to ask.

"37 boxes of Christmas Decorations. It won't take as long as you think." Roger informed them as he saw the look of horror on James' face.

"Obviously Billycans, you have never decorated with Evans." James said, sounding like he had just signed his on death sentence.

Lily charmed the boxes to float, and Roger called to them, "Get started--the sooner the better!"

Lily and James set the boxes down in a hallway and both wondered how their Saturday would be going.

They began shuffling through the boxes, bantering over what should go where and what they should use. In the end they decided on just a few wreaths and garlands. 

They used their skills in charms to move everything around in the right position. Lily was busily putting up holly, singing to herself in her quiet voice. "Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la la la." Singing the ending very loudly. She had made up her mind about five minutes ago, to get James in the Christmas spirit if it was _the last thing she did._

And it my very well be so.

"Lily! Would you be quiet?!" James said, using her first name in frustration. He only called her Evans when he was jesting at her or just referring to her, but a lot of the time he would speak to her directly with her first name.

"Let me think about it..." Lily pretended to think. "No."

"Awe! Lily, please! I can't stand the singing, singing, singing!" James said, stomping his foot.

"Oh my! Now you REALLY remind me of the Grinch!" Lily said staring at him. James looked over at her from where he was attaching mistletoe to the ceiling in the center of the hallway. 

"I still don't know who he is."

"How many times do I have to explain!?"

"Just kidding! Kidding! Calm down!" James laughed, enjoying teasing Lily, as _always._ Lily sighed, exasperated as _she_ _ always_ was around James. She held up her wand and pointed it at him. 

"James-whatever-it-is-your-middle-name-is-Potter! You better behave or NO and I repeat NO Christmas Cookies!" It was a known fact that Lily made cookies for every Gryffindor for Christmas morning, and they were delicious--even James admitted to it.

"Okay, fine, fine. _Now_ who's the _Grinch_?" James grumbled. 

Lily was suddenly fed up. James always tried to ruin her Christmas mood. Every year! 1st year, he'd opened all the windows in her dorm--letting in a blizzard. 2nd year he'd advanced to transfiguring her bed into a snow-bed! She'd woken up and thought she'd wet the bed...

3rd year James and the Marauders had trapped her under the mistletoe with Snape until she kissed him. Luckily, McGonagall had taken the spell off the mistletoe that kept Lily and Snape from moving more then a foot apart. 4th year James out did himself by stealing Lily's presents and replacing them with gag gifts... 

"James Potter!" Lily said sternly, marching over to James--who only blinked at her owlishly, waiting for her to say more. She just stood in a battle stance form in front of him, wand held tightly in her hand.

James cleared his throat and nodded upward, a cocky grin on his face. Lily glanced up and saw it.

The mistletoe.

Lily looked at James.

James looked at Lily. 

Lily gulped, squealed and ran off in the opposite direction. 

"Well, that was an interesting confrontation." James muttered to himself. 

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**_A/N I just LOVE you reviewers...No seriously, I do! I almost cried when I got home from school (after having an awful day) and saw 21 reviews on it!! It was probably just because you all felt sorry for me, but STILL, I'm feeling over emotional--thank the lord I was able to control myself._**

**_Same rules apply. Next chapter will be up if it hits 41 really fast, if it doesn't...Sunday--Maybe Monday, I'm kind of busy. This story is actually all planned and everything, so it's easy to post quickly._**

**_This chapter basically just introduces Lily, James and the rest--and what they're like. I think it gets better--I mean, I think the next chapter is better...But it keeps it's bit of innocent like attitude throughout the whole thing...I think. I'm never really positive with my stories._**

**_Chapter 2:_**

**_Lily and James argue (as always) and Olivia and a boy snog. Lily decides James HAS to get into the Christmas Spirit, and reads him some Christmas stories...Why he puts up with THAT, I'll let you wonder about..._**

**_I have SO much homework tonight it's not even funny, so review and make me feel better--as I stay up until 3AM writing my debate case--why do I commit suicide by signing up for tourneys? _**

**_Just one more quick note--_**

**_This story WILL be complete by Christmas--Even If I have to kill myself to do it! I WILL get it done and all posted and such by then. When should the last chapter go up? Christmas Eve? Christmas Day? The 23rd?_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW!!! _**

**_It boosts my self-esteem. :-)_**

**_*~Sierra~*_**


	3. The Grinch's Song

**Disclaimer:** Blah, blah, blah--this is crap, I'm not writing this no more!! I'm going on a disclaimer strike...Okay, that's a lie, but who cares??

**_A/N Here's the second chapter...._**

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**Mr. Grinch **

_James Vs. Christmas. Will James Potter Finally Get In the Christmas Spirit?_

By 

_Sierra Sitruc_

_The Grinch's Song_

_You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch  
You really are a heel,  
You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch,  
You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel!  
_

_You're a monster, Mr. Grinch,  
Your heart's an empty hole,  
Your brain is full of spiders, you have garlic in your soul, Mr. Grinch,  
I wouldn't touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!  
_

_You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch,  
You have termites in your smile,  
You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile, Mr. Grinch,  
Given a choice between the two of you I'd take the seasick crocodile!  
_

_You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch,   
You're the king of sinful sots,  
Your heart's a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots, Mr. Grinch,  
You're a three decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce!  
_

_You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch,  
With a nauseous super "naus"!,  
You're a crooked dirty jockey and you drive a crooked hoss, Mr. Grinch,  
Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful  
assortment of rubbish imaginable mangled up in tangled up knots!  
_

_You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch,  
You're a nasty wasty skunk,  
Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Mr. Grinch,  
The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote,  
"Stink, stank, stunk"! _

Chapter 2

11 Days Until Christmas

Lily shivered as she walked out of the bathroom, carrying her toiletries she sighed--she'd decided to put the bells in her hair again--just because it was tradition, and a little bit of it might have had to do with the fact, that it annoyed James.

Lily was going about her business, finishing getting ready for the day--she had to hurry if she wanted to say good bye to Olivia before she left on the train home--Olivia was leaving that is. She stopped suddenly as she heard a flutter of wings.

"_What?_" Lily wondered a loud. She looked up, just in time to see a flash of something--hadn't she gotten rid of the partridge?

Then, she saw them--two turtle doves--she recognized them from a book she'd had that had pictures to the song "The 12 Days of Christmas' 

Lily groaned, "Damn, whoever keeps doing this!"

She stomped about trying to catch them, her newly put on scarf getting in the way a lot. She managed to tackle one of the pesky birds, but the other was still about. 

If she wasn't having hard enough of a time already--in came James Potter. 

"What the devil our you doing?" James said, stunned as he saw the Christmas Red Head, decked in red and green and sprawled across the floor clutching a bird to her chest. 

Lily decided to comment on his wording later, and instead said, "Forget asking--help me out! This is bloody insane!" 

James took pity on the girl, and did a quick transfiguration charm that put _both _ birds in a cage. Lily was thankful he'd caught sight of the other bird, who'd been hiding on a dresser--trying the unmoving object ploy.

"Now, what the bloody hell are you doing in my dorm Potter!?" Lily was still highly embarrassed about what had happened the day before, and would have preferred not to talk to him, or about it--even think about what had happened. But, this didn't stop her from yelling at him.

"I came to collect you for your dear friend Olivia, who, and I quote said, 'Potter, get your stupid arse up the stairs and get Lily.' Now, if you want to know why she didn't get you herself, it's because she's been--with held, by the ever wonderful _Billy Triton_." James said sarcastically, and was shocked that Lily squealed and raced out of the room, James shrugged and hurried after. Following the jingling sound.

They came upon Olivia who was--right at the moment, trapped in the hallway under--the mistletoe of all things--with_ Billy Triton_.

"Lily, honestly--."

"No time now James--I have to savor the moment!!" Lily waved to her friend, who had finally gotten the courage to kiss the boy she'd had the biggest crush on for _ years. _

James and several other boys rolled their eyes, but Lily and several other_ girls_ awed and squealed.

"Well," James muttered under his breath. "He got luckier then_ I_ did under the mistletoe." 

James did get lucky though, that Lily didn't hear that comment. Lily turned back to James and said, "I guess it was a good idea you put that up." It was then that James realized that was the exact same one he and Lily had been under the night before. 

"I hate Christmas," was all James said, and got a smack from Lily for it.

"That was uncalled for!" She said.

"No, that_ slap_ was uncalled for!" James said, holding his arm.

"Oh, like I could hurt _you,_" Lily said, smirking. A few people watched; James and Lily were easily the most entertaining couple to listen to--not that they were a couple--but they still were an interesting pair when they got to together, and their meetings almost always had some funny result--the audience was not disappointed.

"I happened to enjoy it anyway... Much like I would have enjoyed my evening last night--if you had cared to stick around." James wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, leaving the small group to wonder what had happened... But when they saw Lily blush, they all pretended to be doing something else for the moment, hoping against hope that something else would be said. 

Olivia and Billy just went back to snogging--Lily and James weren't _that _ entertaining.

"I was hoping we would never speak of that again!" Lily said in a loud whisper.

"Oh, well--doesn't mean I can't think about it--again and again..." 

Smack!

"Ouch," James said, now rubbing his cheek.

"Miss Evans, kindly refrain from the physical abuse on Mister Potter," Professor McGonagall said nonchalantly as she walked by the scene.

A few people snorted, and Lily turned even redder; James resided to keep rubbing his cheek in pain.

"How did this start again?" James asked exasperatedly.

"You said you hated Christmas," Lily pointed out.

"Ah, yes--still do, by the way."

"Why can't you for once get in the Christmas Spirit! You are such a--gloomy cloud around this time of year. It's depressing!"

"I can't help it!" James said in his defense.

"Sure you can...I'll help you."

James stared, and Sirius laughed while a few others joined in.

"Evans," James said, in a tone of voice that he would use to explain something to a small child. "In case you can't recall--you and I," he slung his arm around her shoulders and whispered in her ear, "Don't get along." Lily shivered, and shrugged and stepped away from him.

"Everyone needs to have some sort of Christmas spirit...or they'll become a--a--Scrooge!" Lily stuttered out.

"Stop with the muggle people!" James grumbled, "But I do know who he is at least..."

"Well, whether you like it or not--you are my new project--."

James' face took on the look that said clearly that he thought he was about to be murdered. "NO! No way in bloody hell--."

"Hush! Come on James, I'm not that bad." Lily pouted, the idea of making James like Christmas really appealed to her for some unknown reason.

"Yes, you are."

"Well... I can be if _you_ don't cooperate!" Lily snapped testily.

"Lily Evans, I will _not _be your pet project!" James shouted, but it was too late...She'd made up her mind, and there was no escape.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Lily began thinking up ways to get James in the Christmas Spirit... There were so many things she did every year with her friends or family for Christmas. She could just do all of those things with him--but that felt like she was including him in her friend/family 'circle'--when they certainly weren't friends--she couldn't stand him and vice versa.

Christmas Caroling... Well, that was out of the question for now--but maybe--Did James even know who Santa Claus was? 

A grin crept onto Lily's face, a devilish, elfish, grin, and jumped from her bed, to her trunk, ignoring the singing and dancing candy cane. She opened her trunk, and looked about wildly. She quickly found what she was looking for and grabbed it, then ran down the stairs, where she found James about to play a game of exploding Snap with Sirius and Remus, who stayed behind with James for Christmas.

"James!" Lily yelped, grabbing him by the arm and tugging him over to the fire place, leaving Sirius and Remus to stare.

"WHAT?!" James said as she pushed him to the ground roughly and plopped down beside him.

"I'm reading you a story," Lily answered.

"Wha--"

"Hush," Lily said firmly.

"Okay." James obeyed, too disoriented to argue much.

Lily then pulled out a children's book, sat on her knees and prepared to read the entire thing to James--and showing him pictures. 

James looked up at her in awe. "You're seriou--."

"Quiet!" Lily snapped, then continued. "'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house  
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

"I think Rat," James said impishly, and Sirius and Remus who had listened in, laughed. Lily coughed and it was quiet again. 

"The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there." 

"Who?" All three pure bloods asked. 

Lily glared, and it was silent _again_. "The children were nestled all snug in their bed, While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads, And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap...When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter." 

"Robbers."

"Death Eaters." James countered Sirius.

"Did you blunder heads hear? It's St. Nicolas--who ever he is." Remus said smartly.

"Nearly Headless Nick--."

"SHH!" Lily said viciously, and continued to read _The Night Before Christmas, _by_ Clement C. Moore_.

They managed to get through the rest of the story, with little interruption. 

"So.. .A robber came in, took the toys for Christmas, and stuffed their stockings with--something?" James asked, seeing how much he'd gotten of it.

"It's Santa Clause you numskull!" Lily said exasperatedly--this wasn't going as planned. Then she had ANOTHER idea. "Fine, _Mr. Grinch_--stay here." Lily stomped up her stairs to her dorm, grabbed yet another book and came back down and started reading.

James just stared--he was highly uncomfortable with the whole idea. He couldn't believe he'd even let Lily talk him into this--but--

James hated this. He zoned out like he had the last time--this was the only way he could stay sane--Christmas was pointless, bad things only happened to him on Christmas.

"Inside a snowflake, high atop Mt. Crumpit, just north of town, a certain cave-dwelling curmudgeon peers down on the Christmas-adoring Whos of Whoville as they make their frantic Yuletide preparations. And this isn't your run-of-the-mill sourpuss. This is the Grinch, and he is positively sick of those nog-sucking cheermongers." 

"Whoa, that was one too many words I've never heard before." Sirius said, rubbing his temples. Lily ignored the comment and kept reading.

"Why is the Grinch so, well ... so Grinchy? Nobody knows, not even his lone companion, the endlessly oppressed canine, Max. It could be, because his head wasn't screwed on just right; or maybe his shoes were. But with an expression that goes from glum to glummer and then to a malevolent lip-curling grin as a wicked light bulb clicks over his head ... a wonderful, awful idea is born. Christmas is back and the Grinch plans to do something about this annoyingly-happy holiday ... once and for all." Lily read, and James was gone into space...

Lily finished reading, and Remus and Sirius said they liked it--and that it was the perfect James...Those two were much more open about Christmas--blame it on the loving families. 

"James? Did you even listen?"

"NO."

Lily looked as though she were about to scream, so James took the time to escape her wrath, by running wildly out of the room, saying something about 'urgent business'.

"Would you guys mind giving me ideas on getting him in the Christmas spirit?" Lily asked Remus and Sirius.

"Nope," they said simultaneously. 

"It's down right impossible, he's so hard headed--he doesn't want anything to do with Christmas--all he wants is presents."

"How selfish!" Lily said abruptly.

"Well, can't blame him--I mean, if I was him--." Sirius started to say, but Remus gave him a kick to hush him. 

"Fine, don't be any help." Lily grumbled, picking up her books and leaving--thankfully taking her temper with her. Jingling all the way.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Lily decided she was going to have to think of a different way to get him in the Christmas Spirit...and she only had 11 days! Then of course...how was she going to get him to admit it?? She'd just have to trust him to be honest, whether she liked it or not, he was a good person--just not around Christmas time.

She just didn't know what to do...She decided upon going to dinner--oh my, she was trapped with the Marauders this Christmas--she would have gone home... But ever since her Dad passed away shortly after she'd been accepted to Hogwarts, Christmas at home _sounded_ unpleasant--she was lucky that in her first year, her mom hadn't wanted her there...

Lily entered the Great Hall, and sat beside James and all through dinner continually humming Christmas tunes--getting a good deal of weird looks, and a few glares from James. Everyone knew Lily was a bit off around Christmas time, so it's not like she was making much more of an idiot of herself then normal.

She decided that she'd try positively drowning James in Christmas things, and see if it did any good. She'd start tomorrow, and hopefully she wouldn't find Three French Hens sitting at the foot of her bed...

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**_A/N I hope that wasn't too bad. PLEASE Review and tell me what you think!! 64 reviews?? Please! Thank You ALL for your reviews! I feel so...Loved. Last night I stayed up all night trying to get my homework done and ended up falling asleep on my desk...Oops. So I didn't go to school today...I woke up at 5pm...Now that was disorienting...Err...Sorry that had nothing to do with the story. Anyway, now I feel awful and you guys cheered me up...Nothing like waking up to 41 reviews..._**

**_This chapter was mostly all about Lily trying to make James like Christmas...If you read closely and finish the story, you'll know why James does some of the things he does...Lily too. _**

**_Anyway...._**

**_Chapter 3_**

**_Lily and James build a snow man together and Lily finds something in her room... It's shorter then this chapter. They talk a lot to each other too...Not a very action like chapter..._**

**_If we hit 64 reviews I'll post this...Other wise I'll just wait until it hits the mark or wait until I feel like posting._**

**_You reviewers are so GREAT!! :-) I love you ALL so much!! *hugs her reviewers* ...Hope I didn't hurt you there! Um...I'm over excited. Normally, I don't even hug my parents!!_**

**_REVIEW!_**

_***~Sierra~***_

  


  
  
  



	4. Winter Wonderland

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything...but the plot.

_**A/N Read. Please? And while your at it, review.**_

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**Mr. Grinch **

_James Vs. Christmas. Will James Potter Finally Get In the Christmas Spirit?_

By 

_Sierra Sitruc_

**Winter Wonderland**

_Sleigh bells ring  
are you listening  
in the lane  
snow is glistening   
A beautiful sight  
we're happy tonight  
walking in a winter wonderland  
  
Gone away is the bluebird  
here to stay is a new bird   
He sings a love song  
as we go along  
walking in a winter wonderland  
  
In the meadow we can build a snowman  
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown   
He'll say: Are you married?   
we'll say: No man  
But you can do the job   
when you're in town  
  
Later on  
we'll conspire  
as we dream by the fire   
To face unafraid  
the plans that we've made  
walking in a winter wonderland  
  
In the meadow we can build a snowman  
and pretend that he's a circus clown   
We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman  
until the other kiddies knock him down  
  
When it snows  
ain't it thrilling  
Though your nose gets a chilling   
We'll frolic and play  
the Eskimo way  
walking in a winter wonderland  
  
Walking in a winter wonderland  
walking in a winter wonderland_

**Chapter 3**

10 Days Until Christmas

Lily woke up, with one idea in mind.. .Making James like Christmas. He was going to enjoy _something_ about the holiday for once, and not just her cookies.

Her eyes cast around the empty dorm and ignored the three French hens (just rolled her eyes at them) and fell on her window--snow. Lots of snow...Newly _fallen_ snow..

It didn't take a genius to figure out what Lily had planned for our _dear_ James Potter. 

She pranced out of bed, and began bundling up, mittens, ear muffs, cloak, boots, thick socks--heavy duty. All in Christmas colors of course. When she came out of her dorm, she looked like something closely related to that singing candy cane on her trunk.

She went across the hall and knocked on James' dorm door, when there was no answer, she took the liberty of walking right in. 

Lily found three boys sleeping soundly, looking quite peaceful. Lily came across James' bed and looked at him._ And this sweet looking boy is the Grinch?_ She thought to herself, as she got up the courage to 'wake the beast'. 

"James," Lily whispered, she jumped on his bed, the familiar jingling from her hair ties tinkling about. "James, wake up!" Lily said a little louder. "_James!_" She whispered harshly. 

James jumped up abruptly, and knocked heads with Lily. "Ouch!" The two sat back for a moment, Lily still beside him, rubbing their heads--they looked pretty irritated with one another.

"Evans! What are you doing in _my_ bed?! Is this a nightmare?!" James whispered loudly, so they wouldn't wake Remus and Sirius.

"We're going out," Lily answered. "Outside, that is," She corrected, lest he "get any ideas".

"B-but--it's cold outside!" James complained, getting out from under his covers, and Lily was thankful that he'd worn pajamas...

"James! Your wearing pajamas!" Lily exclaimed quietly, and burst into silent giggles and fell on his bed--not seeing James' intense blush.

"It was cold!" James defended himself. "Now leave so I can get dressed!"

"Wow, you're actually coming?" Lily asked, surprised that he was agreeing so easily.

"Err...Don't make me change my mind, Lily!" James snapped, and Lily left quickly, muttering something about 'blue pajamas! Hufflepuff colors...'

~*~

They met up a few minutes afterward, and James looked, like a pumpkin of sorts--but a red Gryffindor one, maybe a holly berry. He was so heavily covered for the weather, it was humorous.

Lily saw him come into the common room, and immediately burst into laughter, and James took it like a man. "I'm not going to freeze my arse of, thank you very much."

"You won't! Please--at least take off the fourth sweater!" Lily begged through her giggling.

"Fine, fine--be picky," James said snootily, lifting his chin, but it only made Lily laugh more. 

James went back upstairs and changed once more, and came down looking _normal._

"Okay, you, handsome _stud_ you, let's get moving." Lily said, and grabbed his gloved hand and dragged him out the portrait hole, too quickly for him to get a comment for her last remark.

Once on the snowy grounds, Lily proceeded to teach James how to make a snowman. 

"Just roll it again and again over the snow, so it collects layers," she instructed, and James managed to get something that had the looks of a squashed roll. Compared to Lily's part of the snowman, it looked like a piece of poop, and James, being the cynical little Grinch he was, of course pointed it out.

"Mine looks like a piece of poop!" James whined.

Lily giggled, "It was only your first try--try again, until you get something that looks more...Well, like--err...never mind, just make it look more like mine." 

"Ha, that'll be the day hags sing nicely and you and I have a sleepover and tell each other secrets." Lily found this amazingly funny, and started another fit of giggles. "Fine, laugh all you want. I'm being quite serious... Don't hurt yourself..." 

"Sorry, but my morning started by finding three French Hens in my room--that's a sure sign that something funny was going to happen."

"Well, this isn't funny and you're laughing anyway." James pointed out.

"True." Lily calmed down, finally, and began putting the snowman together. "Go get two sticks please--branches you know," she instructed.

"You sure are feeling bossy today." James said.

"Yes, but when I'm dealing with you--I can't control the authority that comes out. I feel like I'm dealing with a child."

"Hey! I resent that--I'm--."

"Shut up, admit you are as immature as the 1st years."

"Okay--sometimes, maybe."

"Ha!" Lily laughed triumphantly.

"But, I'm smart--"

"That's got nothing to do with it! Look at Snape!" 

"Good point."

"I wouldn't say anything that was pointless."

"Yeah, right. This conversation in itself is probably pretty pointless," James said.

"Yeah." An awkward silence filled the air, and James went in search of branches.

He came back with several different kinds. "I wasn't sure what kind you wanted--so I got a bunch."

"Thank you, James," Lily said politely.

"What are they for anyway?" James inquired, walking up beside Lily, staring at the three snow balled figure that was a little shorter then himself, who was 5'11.

"His arms of course!" Lily said picking out two branches that were even on the ends. 

"Oh...stick arms." James said nothing, but Lily knew he was withholding a remark.

"Got any rocks around here?" Lily asked.

"Err...No, I don't carry rocks around in my pockets." James said, looking worriedly at her.

"How else is he going to get a face? Go find some--and can you conjure a carrot?"

"No...Well, I think I can conjure the rocks and the carrots out of snow..." James started forming a carrot shaped snow figure, and transformed it easily, the transfigured some snow pellets into rocks. "Perfect." James said, admiring his handiwork. 

Lily took the rocks, and made the snowman a face and mouth and a few buttons down the front; then took the carrot and stuck it smack in the middle of his face. "Oh, my masterpiece! This is the best snowman I ever made!"

"How many have you made?"

"Two."

"Ah--"

"This is the third one."

"Third times a charm!" James said perkily, and Lily just rolled her eyes. "What's his name then?" James asked, like it was the most sensible question in the world.

Lily thought for a moment. "Hubert?"

"No... He looks like a_ Harry_."

"Yeah--but he needs glasses to be a Harry." Lily said haughtily.

"True, hold on a second..." James pulled off his glasses and put them on the snow man.

"Now you can't see, James!" Lily giggled.

"Stop giggling--say hello to Harry now." Lily giggled again.

"H-hello H-Harry." She could hardly talk through her giggling. "He--he looks like a preacher!"

"Then it looks like we're getting married!" The two stepped several feet away from one another. "I say he looks more like a clown." 

"Until the Slytherins knock him down of course." Lily said, "They'll want to kill him, you know."

"Ah! They will--I have to save Harry!" James began pushing snow about, making a protective wall. 

"James--this'll take too long!" Lily said, pointing out the obvious.

"Stop your jabbering and get down here and _help, _woman!" James was now on his hands and knees, shaping the snow blindly, as his glasses were still on Harry.

Lily sighed and got down beside him to help. Some things you just couldn't argue with.

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_**A/N Thanks to all the reviewers...You are all so nice! It must be the Christmas Spirit that is making you review! *Laughs* Merry Christmas in...18 days! 18 days until my birthday!! **_

**_Continuing, I've decided to *try* and post the last chapter to this on the 23rd. I'm hoping I can get it all done by then! I'm going to be feeling VERY pressured, but I think I can do it._**

**_Let's try for...90 reviews this time? Please?? *puppy face* I'd love you all forever!!! And that's saying something, considering the average person can only love 12 people...Or was it only *do* love 12 people...Or was that some other survey entirely? _**

**_Anyway, review and I'll love you...90 isn't too much! And you have NO idea how surprised I was to see the review stats at 71!!!_**

**_Chapter 4:_**

**_Things get a little sad, as we find out more about Lily. There's quite a few flashbacks, which I worked my arse off on! I redid them once, and I'm still not happy with them...I almost put them in the prologue just for the heck of it--but decided it was better the way I do it. She gets a letter from home is all I'm going to say. I hope I don't depress you!_**

**_I'm very glad that all of you like it. Strangely enough, I do know someone who acts a lot like James does in some ways...My dad. He hates Christmas, but not _entirely_. And as we go to the next chapter Lily is based off of him as well--seeing her dad died. My dad's dad died when he was 7 around Christmas time...So, you can see where I get a lot of my ideas from. :-)_**

**_Sucks to be born on Christmas, when your dad finds it as an annoyance and a pain in the butt!_**

**_One more time--thanks for the reviews!!!!!!!!!!!! You've all really made my day! I feel 10 times happier!!_**

_***~Sierra~***_


	5. Miss You Most

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any thing you recognize, as not mine...

_**A/N I have it all planned!! Each chapter and the epilogue! Go Sierra! She's finally organized--something she's never been before!! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! *Sierra Parties***_

**_Here ya go! Merry Christmas!!_**

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**Mr. Grinch **

_James Vs. Christmas. Will James Potter Finally Get In the Christmas Spirit?_

By 

_Sierra Sitruc_

**Miss You Most**

_The fire is burning  
The room's all aglow  
Outside the December wind blows  
Away in the distance the carolers sing in the snow  
Everybody's laughing  
The world is celebrating  
And everyone's so happy  
Except for me tonight _

_Because I miss you  
Most at Christmas time  
And I can't get you  
Get you off my mind  
Every other season comes along  
And I'm all right  
But then I miss you, most at Christmas time _

_I gaze out the window  
This cold winter's night  
At all of the twinkling lights  
Alone in the darkness  
Remembering when you were mine  
Everybody's smiling  
The whole world is rejoicing  
And everyone's embracing  
Except for you and I _

_Baby I miss you  
Most at Christmas time  
And I can't get you  
Get you off my mind  
Every other season comes along  
And I'm all right  
But then I miss you, most at Christmas time _

_In the springtime those memories start to fade  
With the April rain  
Through the summer days  
Till autumn's leaves are gone  
I get by without you  
Till the snow begins to fall _

_And then I miss you  
Most at Christmas time  
And I can't get you  
Get you off my mind  
Every other season comes along  
And I'm all right...  
But then I miss you, most at Christmas time_

_--Mariah Carey_

Chapter 4

9 Days Until Christmas

It was not a pleasant morning, as Lily Evans woke up to four calling birds--all around the room the four birds squawked and sung about her dorm. "Urgh! Who ever is doing this--is insane!" Lily yelped, she was angry--so angry in fact, that she got tangled in the bed sheets and fell with a _'bam'_ on the ground.

"Crap! On the 4th day of Christmas... My True Love Gave to me..." She said grumpily under her breath, as she stumbled about trying to catch the birds. "And James didn't even feel a tinge of Christmas spirit with the snowman..." she growled, thinking back to the night before. 

She was feeling very irritated about whoever sent her these--even if they did have a crush on her or something, it was no excuse. 

Lily used the same charm James had used a few days before and captured them...The three French hens had mysteriously disappeared, but Sirius' cat was looking suspiciously plump. She's have to have a talk with Herman Waterston about not eating other people's French hens. Stupid cat. Herman was Sirius's cat's name.

She went to her dresser, and tied on the bells in her hair once more, this time pulling her hair half down, half up. The bells hung down, and bounced against her head in a comforting way. 

~*~

"I'm having a bad day," Lily announced to the three Marauders sitting in the Great Hall. 

"We don't care," Sirius said nonchalantly. 

"Sirius! It's Christmas, and we--all four of us --are calling a truce--of sorts," Lily informed him. (_**A/N** Remember, Peter is gone! Yes...Sometimes, even *I* can't stand having him in the plot..._) 

"Thanks, Boss," Remus said, with a nod.

"You're welcome; that means no Christmas Prank on me--I already have some annoying person--sending me things to the twelve days of Christmas song," Lily told them, then a look of suspicion crossed her face. "You didn't..."

"No, we haven't done anything to you yet, Lils," James said, poking at his eggnog. "Ugh, this stuff is gross!"

"It's Christmas food--what, do you hate foods for Christmas as well!?" Lily demanded.

"Maybe..." James said nervously, tensing for the rant he knew was coming.

"James! That is so unreasonable! You like my Christmas cookies!"

"So? I don't care, I can be as unreasonable, and immature as I want."

"Erm..." Was all Lily said, and then of course, an owl has to take that moment to fly onto her plate and drop a letter. "Oh no," she moaned, "Every year..."

"What?" The three boys chorused, eyeing the letter interestedly.

"It's my business, and it doesn't concern you," she snapped, getting up from the table without eating and marching out of the Great Hall to read the letter. Every year she got the same letter...From her Grandma Ruthy, trying to make it up to her that her mother and sister couldn't have her home.

She really didn't want to read this letter in front of the three remaining Marauders. She cried too easily...Actually she cried every time she got one of _these_ letters from Grandma Ruthy. She didn't know why exactly, it was just...It reminded her of another letter, from first year...

She found a nice place by Professor McGonagall's office, and plopped down.

_Dear Lily_

_Happy Christmas! I hope everything is going well for you at school. Your mother and sister send greetings to you._ (Lily laughed humorlessly at that_) They are doing fine, and the neighborhood is wonderful this time of year, Christmas decorations everywhere! You'd love it here, since I know how much you enjoy those kinds of things, you still do right?_

_It's too bad you couldn't come around this year, you look so much like your farther, it'd be like having him around again. You do take after him in your enjoyment of Christmas... Too bad Petunia and your mother can't appreciate it like I can. I enclosed some money, and a picture of us all here at Christmas. _

_I know you love school dear, but next year take a break and visit us here! I know you think you're doing your mother and sister a favor by not coming home, but they miss you too. All Petunia whines about is why Lily doesn't like her anymore and never visits! She's only a year older, but sometimes I do believe that child acts like she's the younger one! _

_Anyway, I just wanted to wish you a Happy Christmas._

_Love,_

_Grandma Ruthy_

Lily sighed and sniffled letting the memories wash over her, of past Christmases of similar letters and happier feelings. Every year was the same, but none had been more fun, then when she was eight years old...

_Christmas Eve 1968 in the Evans Home_

_"Daddy! Let me put the star up on the tree!" 8 year old Lily Evans volunteered herself, as her and her father set about OVER decorating their small Christmas tree. Their living room was thick with decorations, all over the place almost everything had some Christmas object on it or near it. It was almost cluttered it was so cheery. _

_"Sure thing, kiddo." Mr. Evans lifted his daughter up by the arms and she stuck the star on the top of their tree. _

_"Yes! I reached it, Daddy!" Lily turned around and snuggled under her father's chin. Her father was a tall man, with a large smile and kind heart, and fiery red hair that matched his fierce love of Christmas, that had all been handed down to his youngest daughter._

_"I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas" was playing the background, and Lily leapt from her father's arms and started singing along with the record and her father joined in. The two started dancing around and her father picked up a pair of stringed bells and tied them to his daughter's pony tail...who'd have known it'd become such a tradition._

_Lily and her father joined Petunia and her mother in the dining room. Petunia and her mom took care of dinner, while Lily and her dad, all the decorations and present sorting. _

_9 year old Petunia was dancing around licking her fingers clean from playing with the cranberry sauce. The two sisters both had a bad habit of sticking their fingers in the sauce, and her parents had long ago, stopped caring to scold them about it. _

_"Daddy! Dad! Watch THIS!" Petunia had been taking ballet recently, and she pulled an odd twirl that made Lily giggle, but everyone else clapped for young Petunia and the girl blushed. "Thank you, thank you." Petunia curtsied. _

_"That was really pretty 'Tunia," Lily said politely, while squeezing her dad's hand._

_"Thank you!" Petunia beamed. _

_"Girls, let's eat," Mrs. Evans said, gesturing to their table. The family always had Christmas Eve dinner at their house first and then on Christmas Day they went to Grandma Ruthy's, who's house was only a mile away...Which was a good thing or a bad thing, depending on who you were. _

_The family of four sat down in their usual places. Mr. Evans at the head of the table, Mrs. Evans on his right, Petunia on his left, and Lily beside Petunia._

_The table was set with all her father's favorite foods, turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, eggnog and of course--his favorite all time pie; pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top._

_They all ate quietly for a few minutes before Lily finally asked, "Dad, can I open my presents?"_

_"No Lils--well..." Mr. Evans wavered._

_"Stanley--no way are you letting those girls open their presents! Santa hasn't even come yet!" Mrs. Evans argued immediately._

_"But, Greta--just one?" Mr. Evans pleaded, he did love to spoil the girls._

_Mrs. Evans sighed, "I guess so--just one, and_ I _get to choose which ones they open." _

_Lily, Petunia and Mr. Evans all cheered, and after that Lily and Petunia talked actively on which present they might open and wondering what Santa might bring them. It would be the last year they still had faith in the bearded man._

_After dinner, they retired to the newly decorated living room. Lily and Petunia both dived for their biggest present--but Mothers never did let kids open the ones they *wanted* to._

_"Open Grandma Ruthy's presents." Mrs. Evans told them, all the while, Mr. Evans stood beside her with his arm around her waist grinning._

_"But Ma! It'll be knitted sweaters or something!" Petunia whined._

_"She's right," Mr. Evans whispered in his wife's ear._

_"Stan! No! I'm not being persuaded otherwise..." Mrs. Evans looked at her husband and daughter's pleading faces. "Oh...Don't look at me like that!" She covered her face. "Fine, fine--open Aunt Rachel's."_

_"Yes!" Lily and Petunia whooped jumping towards the medium sized presents behind the tree; decorated in too many ribbons and bright colors. Aunt Rachel always, and I mean ALWAYS gave them cool gifts. Aunt Rachel traveled to different countries for a living and always sent them something foreign. Last year, Lily got a fat Buddha mug, for a seven year old--it was brilliant fun. Of course, fat Buddha married Barbie tea cup in January after a short romance but...That's another story._

_Lily and Petunia opened their presents and Lily got a_** very** _suspicious looking voodoo doll from the Caribbean Islands somewhere, and Petunia got a fortune telling globe, ("Mommy, if this says--beware of the big red man with a mustache, does it mean I should look out for Daddy?") that seemed eerily true. ("I don't know any boys with black hair and glasses..." "Well, if you meet one, be sure to kiss him!" "Eww! Mommy! That's gross!")_

_The evening was very fun, and at 9pm the girls got ready for bed, Lily was in her pink bunny pajamas with matching slippers talking to Petunia in her ducky pajamas and matching slippers. The two girls shared a room, and were whispering to each other secrets and imagining what Santa looked like._

_"I think, Santa's beard is red like Daddy's." Lily said confidently._

_"Why?" Petunia asked._

_"Because, know one loves Christmas as much as Daddy and so Daddy must be exactly like him." Lily said logically._

_"Yeah, but Daddy's not fat."_

_"Well, maybe he's not exactly like him."_

_"Yeah."_

_The two soon fell asleep, and were awoken a few hours later to a thump. "What was THAT!?" Lily yelped in her young high pitched voice, at the same time Petunia squealed, "SANTA CLAUS!"_

_The two girls leaped out of their beds, and raced down the steps only to come face to face with old St. Nick himself._

_Lily and Petunia, were needless to say speechless, but Santa wasn't. "Ho, ho, ho." The man said weakly. Scratching his white beard._

_"Wait a second!" Lily exclaimed, catching site of a red moustache. "Daddy!?" She said, her voice going really high towards the end._

_"No, no, I'm Santa Claus." The main chuckled._

_"No, Daddy," Lily said, Petunia agreeing right along with her. Lily reached up, and tugged on the beard, and watched as it pulled away from his chin, only to snap right back on. "Elastic..." Lily shook her head. "Really Dad, you could have done better."_

_"I know," he said taking off his fake beard, feeling uncomfortable in his entire Santa outfit. _

_Lily giggled, "I guess we have to go to bed then, and wait for the REAL Santa to come." Lily and Petunia then skipped off to bed. Happy to have caught their dad doing something he shouldn't. _

That was a good memory, bittersweet as some would say. Lily found it heartbreaking, she couldn't stand to think of her father anymore. It was just too painful.

Lily felt tears glistening her eyes as the next memory hit her smack in the face...It hadn't taken long for her to go from being wanted to being resented by her own family. 

_Christmas 1971 at Hogwarts_

_Lily had just gotten away from James's teasing, they got along for the most part--but he liked to play silly pranks on her that she never understood. Her grandma said it was because he liked her--but she didn't believe that. _

_She was holding her letter that her mother had sent to her, it would tell her whether or not she could go home for Christmas that year (meaning, if they could afford it). _

_She opened it quickly, and instead of a letter from her mother, it was from her Grandma Ruthy. Lily only grasped a few lines before bursting into tears._

_'Sorry Lily...Too many memories...So much like your father...Mother can't stand Christmas...Petunia cried just thinking about you and how you look like him...None could bear to see his smile that shines through you...You can't come home'_

_To deal with it and cheer herself up, Lily began singing Christmas Carols, and concentrating with all her might on Christmas--to keep away the pain. She'd never been away from home for Christmas before, and she didn't think she could handle it. But she did, despite James Potter trying to ruin her moods by making fun of how much she enthused Christmas._

_It had been awkward, waking up alone in her dorm. Her best-friend had a family who wanted her, so it was just Lily and the Marauders, that stayed home in the first year group of Gryffindors. Everyone else in the year had some place they had to be._

_Everything seemed so much colder without your family there to surround you with love. _

_She'd woken up, gone down the stairs to the presents in the common room, ignoring the Marauders who looked half dead anyway and went to her small pile of presents._

_The present from her mother--was a doll. Lily decided to hide it in the bottom of her trunk. Her dad had always been the better one to pick out presents..._

_Lily shook her head out of those thoughts and went to her sister's present. Worse, a plastic necklace. Really, how old did they think she was?_

_Lily bit her lip, hoping for the best with her present from Grandma Ruthy... A pair of knitted socks..._Great._ She grumbled, she shouldn't have expected a miracle, her Grandma always knitted things for presents._

_Lily's eyes turned to the Marauders. They had huge piles of presents, at LEAST 20 presents for each of them. They didn't look as happy as she thought they would be, maybe they were just tired. _

_She didn't like the lot of them. They'd snowed in her room! Opening all the windows...It was freezing still in her room and puddles of snow were all around. _

_She'd absolutely hated the prank, but she'd made it look like she'd enjoyed having the snow in her room; just to spite them. She'd even managed to build a snow--figure. She knew she probably could have gotten them in trouble for it, but why bother? They'd just get her back for getting them in trouble._

_Lily sighed, and gave the four dejected boys a weak smile--and they GLARED at her. _Really... 

_Remus looked really sick, she noticed. He was lying down on the couch covered up by a blanket--he had a bandage over his head. The wound, was enough to peak Lily's interest. Glaring wasn't going to weaken her curiosity._

_Lily put her best smile on, and walked hesitantly over to the four eleven year olds. _

_"Hello, how are you?" Lily asked Remus, referring to his bandage with a swift flick of her hand. _

_"Fine," Remus said flatly._

_"What happened to your head?" Lily asked._

_"He fell," James growled, and Lily whirled around to find that the other three Marauders had gathered around her. She tried not to let them see her being unsure of herself. With confidence, the battle was half won._

_"On what?"_

_"The stairs," James, Sirius and Peter said at exactly the same time._

_"How?" Lily questioned, not knowing why she cared._

_"Tripped on his robes." Sirius said with an air of authority. It made sense that Remus would fall, his robes were always a bit too big for himself._

_"Which stairs?" Lily asked._

_"The one beside the portrait of Clara the Clumsy." Peter supplied, when Sirius and James failed to answer._

_"Okay, then." Their story checked out. Lily didn't know why she'd been asking anyway--maybe because she'd felt intimidated or maybe she was curious on what they got so defensive about it...Like there was something more to it._

_"Go away Evans, Christmas is bad enough without YOU around." James snapped viciously. _

_"Sorry for being nice!" Lily refuted and stormed off, not noticing their change in the thoughts of Christmas._

_She picked up the few presents from her friends and opened them. They were cheap things, because 11 year olds didn't get much money to spend. A new quill from Olivia was probably the best present she'd got._

_Her day hadn't improved from there._

_At lunch, she'd spilled apple cider down her front--and James and the other Marauders had laughed themselves silly. Lily blew it off, not thinking about how much it hurt. _

_That afternoon, to entertain themselves, the Marauders teased Lily about how she hadn't gotten as many presents as them--she spouted off something in return about presents 'not mattering'. That it was 'family and friends' that counted...And she couldn't help but add to herself that her friends and family weren't there._

_Her family didn't want her around..._

_Lily escaped the Marauders endless teasing after dinner, and went up to her room--where she cast small charms all over the place trying to warm it up._

_It was about that time, she really began to miss her father. She thought back to their last Christmas together and how much she'd loved being home--and how now she was shunned because of her traits that she couldn't change anyway..._

_Lily simply stayed in her room and pitied herself._

_That was probably how it all started--it had been her escape from the pain of the memories Christmas brought. Her father's love for Christmas--and how he would never share another Christmas with her again..._

_She'd never asked to go home for Christmas again, and never planned to. She didn't want to upset her mother and sister...They were fine for most of the year, but around Christmas time, Grandma informed her that it was just unbearable to have her around._

_It was probably the worst Christmas she'd ever had, not thanks to the Marauders..._

Speaking of the Marauders, she caught James Potter staring at her--looking highly uncomfortable. "Err...You okay, Lily?" he asked nervously. Obviously, he'd followed her to see what was in the letter.

"Uh-huh, I'm fine, don't worry about it." Lily said nonchalantly as possible.

"Did that letter upset you_ that_ much?" He said, referring to her tears.

"It just brought back some unwanted memories, is all." Lily shrugged, getting off the floor and walking up to him, ready to put on an heir of ignorant carelessness act.

"Oh, I know how that is," James said, and awkwardly put an arm around her, in a half hug. "Do you...want to talk about it?" Lily would, under normal circumstances, say something rude to that, but since he was trying to be nice, she'd try and be nice in return.

"Maybe later...I need to--cheer up." What that really meant was, 'there is no way in bloody hell that I'm telling you'.

"I'll walk you back to Gryffindor Tower." James offered, and Lily accepted (she was going there anyway, she told herself). They walking in silence all the way up, but _it_ wasn't awkward, because sometimes, silence is golden...

~*~

That afternoon, Lily found herself once again hanging out with the Marauders. They were all four lounging on the couch with a batch of her freshly made cookies in the center of them. Several people kept coming by to grab more, but this was a tradition, Lily made cookies and passed them out...They were, as Sirius said each year, "Heavenly Delights".

Lily was feeling better after making her cookies, and passing them out, lighting up people's day. It was probably one of her favorite things to do every Christmas. 

"I'm...Dreaming...Of A White...Christmas!" Lily sang louder and louder--scaring the 2 first years who had stayed behind and had just grabbed a handful of cookies. 

"Lily, don't scare the children." James muttered, leaning against Lily holding his stomach, "Did you poison those things?"

"No," Lily answered, pushing him away. "You ate too many, and I'm not scaring the children." 

"Either way your scaring me." James said with a nod, "I'm going to go lie down--before I throw up." James shakily lifted himself up from the couch and headed up the stairs and Remus and Sirius soon followed up after, Sirius carrying a bag of cookies with him. 

Lily giggled, she was starting to really warm up to the Marauders...Annoying they were, but entertaining too. And the fact that they made her laugh so much, cheered her...

James had to be getting in the Christmas spirit by now--the cookies had to of worked!

***¤*.¸¸.·´¨`»*«´¨`·. ¸¸.*¤***

_**A/N Well, that took a while...I'm not happy with this chapter, but oh well!! Next chapter Lily finds out why James hates Christmas and they share a evening together--just the two of them and it's going to be sweet.**_

**_Funny something here though... You know how the Santa Claus 2 just came out along with Harry Potter and the COS? Well, I was looking at the movies listed on the sign outside of the movie theater, and they have one of those boards where you put black letters on...Well, so many movies were playing they had to shorten the titles and share lines, so as I looked up at it I saw "Santa Potter'" on it. I cracked up of course...No one else in the car got it._**

**_PLEASE review!!! I know this story's not all that great...Especially this chapter but--I mean...It'd really make me happy if you all reviewed!! I love getting reviews! _**

**_Chapter 5:_**

**_Lily is quite funny in receiving five golden rings...I mean gold!! It's longer chapter...I don't think it's longer then this one, but I'm not sure. Lily tells James why she loves Christmas so much, and the deal is James would tell her why he hated Christmas, but he dodges the question and they fight :-(. Lily won't find out why James hates Christmas...They make a truce in chapter 6, and I'm thinking of Lily finding out at least *partially* why James hates Christmas in chapter 9 or 10...Maybe 11...Yeah 11 sounds good. Also...Dumbledore makes a brief appearance! :-)_**

**_REVIEW and I will--Wish You a Merry Christmas?? _**

_*~Sierra~*_


	6. What Christmas Means To Me

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing, but my meager belongings--which technically belong to my parents anyway...

_**A/N I'd like to thank a reviewer, who long ago introduced me to the song by Blink182 'I Won't Be Home for Christmas' or whatever it's called, but it was the inspiration for this story--I wouldn't have wrote it, if I hadn't been listening to that--crazy song. So thank you--whoever you are! If you read this--tell me, so I can say thanks properly! I can't find your name...Grr...I searched, but all I did was have fun laughing at some of Aria's old reviews...**_

** *¤*.¸¸.·´¨`»*«´¨`·. ¸¸.*¤***

**Mr. Grinch **

_James Vs. Christmas. Will James Potter Finally Get In the Christmas Spirit?_

By 

_Sierra Sitruc_

What Christmas Means To Me 

_When the Christmas time draws near  
We think of joys and Christmas cheer  
Of Santa with his reindeer and his sleigh  
  
But long ago, we should recall,  
The Bethlehem Babe was born for all  
To show the world the life, the truth, the way  
  
The spirit of Christmas  
Is the spirit of Love  
It's something that you cannot buy,  
It's something from above  
  
The presents that you give and get  
Are nothing but a token  
For if they don't come filled with love,  
The Christmas spirit's broken  
  
Just singing Christmas carols and  
Just ringing Jingle Bells  
Means nothing if you do not know  
The story that it tells  
  
So, 'midst the din and tinsel as you  
Trim the Christmas tree  
Let a newborn love enfold you  
Embrace you, uphold you;  
That's the true idea of Christmas  
That's what Christmas means to me_

**Chapter 5**

8 Days Until Christmas

James was sitting in the common room when Lily Evans started screaming and squealing--the entire tower could hear it. 

"OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH!!" She screeched, and barreled down the stairs clutching something in her hands. She made it down the stairs, just before she passed out cold on the floor.

James, in spite of himself, jumped off his place on the floor where he'd been reading a rather good book, and went to Lily's rescue. 

"Lily," James said shaking his head. He took out his wand and squirted water on her face. She opened her eyes and then spoke.

"J-James--bloody hell! Look at these!" She held up her hands and showed him the five golden rings. "I woke up and they were on my fingers!"

"I guess it shocked you quite a bit!" James laughed, giving her a hand up from the floor.

"REAL gold! Real!" Lily was still a little woozy and had to hold onto James's arm.

"Calm down Lily!" James said half seriously. "Whoever put them on you is probably rich." 

"I don't know any rich people!" Lily whined, "It could be a Slytherin!" Lily squeaked, suddenly disgusted.

"It could also be a Ravenclaw--stuck up snobs..." James muttered.

"I think I need to lie down," Lily murmured faintly, and James helped her over to the couch by the fire place. "I don't think I'm going to be able to get up anytime soon."

"I'll stay if you want... for... company or something... But only if Christmas isn't mentioned once. You are becoming incessant with that!" 

"Sorry... But, I want you to get in the Christmas spirit is all," Lily said apologetically.

"Why? Since when have you cared about me?"

"Well... It's a personal thing more then anything. I know how important Christmas can be to some people..." Lily said quietly.

"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I haven't been in the Christmas Spirit since I was a 1st year," James said, sitting by her feet as she laid on the couch.

"Really? What happened in 1st year? Something had to happen to make you change you mind," Lily told him knowledgably. "You can't like Christmas one moment, and decide to hate it the next."

"I have a very good reason to hate Christmas." 

"Which is...?" Lily prompted expectantly, leaning in her seat.

"Something I'm not telling you," James replied tersely. 

"Why not? Is it something bad?" Lily asked, curiosity getting hold of her.

"Maybe," James said, trying not to get her interested.

"It either is or it isn't."

"It...It is," James said unsurely and Lily smiled triumphantly.

"Spill the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor _Beans_," She ordered him.

"No," James answered, not looking at her in the face.

"James, come on...it can't be that bad." Lily said, shoving him with her foot--that was sock disguised. James said nothing. "Please? Please? I won't stop singing Christmas Songs if you don't tell me--." James opened his mouth, but shut it. "JAMES!"

"No!" James pouted, and stomped away, and Lily was left--to be exasperated with the 15 year old boy once more. 

"I feel sorry for whoever marries that boy," She said grumpily. _(**A/N** Sorry for overused line)_

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* 

Later that evening, Lily found herself sitting James by the same fire place and throwing an ice pack at him. 

"Oh... cold..." James moaned, holding the ice pack to his eye.

"That's what you get for picking a fight with Severus Snape," Lily quipped, wincing at his black eye. "You could've gone to the Infirmary...But_ no_, you have to be_ stubborn,_" She mocked. 

"At least I won! Besides, Snape is in the infirmary! I don't want to see his ugly face ever again!" James growled.

"Too bad you have to see him whenever you go to Christmas dinner..." Lily said, smiling. "You're going to be in pain for a while with that eye though."

"Why are you being nice?! Stop being _nice_!" James commanded, and Lily giggled.

"Because you're funny, and I can be nice to whoever I want." 

"I'm funny? _ Now_ I'm funny?"

"It must be the Christmas spirit, provoking me to be nice to you...Actually, I've never been _ mean_ to you--I'm just going out of my way to be nice to you now."

"True," James agreed. "But--I still don't get it. We've never completely got along before, there was always some argument or something blocking friendship--."

"You can be friends with someone you don't agree with and fight with more then are nice to," Lily pointed out. 

"Yes, but..."

"Not buts, we're friends now."

"Well, I'm glad you informed me," James muttered.

"You're welcome," Lily said with a nod, as if bestowing upon him a great gift. "Now...Since we are friends ("This is a one-sided friendship," James griped.) you have to tell me why you hate Christmas." 

James once more refused to answer her question. "James! Come on!" Then an idea came to her. "I'll tell you_ why_ I love Christmas--and...why I was crying yesterday." Her voice came out weaker then she would have liked it to.

James' eyes were lit with curiosity, and Lily knew, from four and a half years of experience, that he was giving in. 

"I'll make cookies too--."

"Deal," James said immediately. "Cookies first, then you tell me all about you--and then I'll tell you why--I despise Christmas so much."

"Deal." Lily said with a nod, and left James with his black eye and went down to the kitchens to get some help from the house elves with ingredients...They were so nice to her down there, so much less exasperating then James, too. 

She mixed up the cookies, with very little help of magic--and succeeded in making her special Christmas cookies--capable of most anything it seemed. They were very persuasive. If the recipe got into the wrong hands...

Lily snorted with laughter suddenly, when she got the image of Severus Snape, having all the Gryffindors on their hands and knees, begging for cookies... Better yet--in an apron! 

Lily put the cookies on a platter, and crept out of the kitchen; hoping no one ran into her carrying them--too late.

"Ah, Miss Evans." Lily froze where she was, before recognizing the voice as old, sweet Dumbledore's.

"Headmaster," Lily said, acknowledging him with a nod, since her hands were too full. 

"You could just put a hovering spell on that plate if you wanted." Dumbledore suggested, and Lily blushed, embarrassed at being so stupid.

"Right, I forgot I had magic for a moment." Lily muttered, casting the charm and freeing up her hands for... well, not much of anything.

"It's quite alright, don't even mention it." 

Dumbledore's eyes sparkled. "You know, I've never thanked you for lighting up Gryffindor with your happy spirit around Christmas time. As they say, the surest way to happiness is to lose yourself in a cause greater than yourself, and Christmas certainly is a cause and you certainly are happy. If_ all_ the Gryffindors were like you, the lot of you would be as merry as the pixies with a good keg of rum!" Dumbledore chuckled to himself. 

Lily knew Dumbledore was referring to James when he said '_all_ the Gryffindors'. He just darkened up the rooms sometimes, bringing in the heavy atmosphere as he walked in through the door; that's how foul he could get... In fourth year, he and his friends had 'accidentally' dumped everyone's presents in the common room out the window. How they got away with that line, Lily would never know. After that, when he and the Marauders walked in, everyone became uncomfortable. For the rest of fourth year, they'd been known as the kids who ruined Christmas. 

Lily had tried to tell everyone, that it wasn't the presents that counted, but the friends and family around you. The happiness and 'good cheer' Christmas came with. She resented James for what he'd done, but still--what can you do with trouble makers?

"Well, I guess it comes from my dad. I think I might finally be getting through to some of them..." Lily said with a small shrug, hoping she didn't say something silly in front of the Headmaster--she rarely talked to him, and she was finding it, highly uncomfortable.

"Your father?" Dumbledore asked, his voice soft.

"Yes...My dad, he died right before I came here--to Hogwarts that is." Lily explained. 

"Did he enjoy Christmas?"

"Oh, he adored it! He was a fanatic about it..." Lily said, lighting up for a moment.

"I'm sure your mother and...sister?" Dumbledore said unsurely and Lily nodded. "I'm sure they like having you around. Bringing out the Christmas spirit, if he loved it as much as you say."_ Did Dumbledore know something?_ Lily wondered briefly.

"Oh..." Lily paused. "Actually, they don't so much...It's partly why I don't go home for Christmas...Professor, is it okay if we don't talk about this? I just... I never bring it up around Christmas..." Lily asked him unsurely, feeling highly uncomfortable.

"Sure, sure... Whatever you like. I won't upset you. But, sometimes, talking it out, is what heals you."

"I'm already healed Professor." Lily said.

"Oh, really?" Dumbledore said, and then changed the mood suddenly. "I'll be seeing you around, I have to get to my office 'official business' you see. Um...might I have some of those delicious cookies? They are actually what brought me around here...The smell is so strong, it carried to my office and delighted my nose." 

"Yes, sure. James wanted some so I came down to the kitchens--I hope you don't mind--to make them."

"Mister Potter? I thought you two...Well, never mind then." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Happy Christmas and remember, we are only as sick as the secrets we keep."

"Happy Christmas, Professor," Lily said, and turned away. She conjectured momentarily, if Dumbledore always talked in puzzles or if he was just having an off day.

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Walking down the halls... Lily thought about what Dumbledore had said, "Sometimes, talking it out is what heals you." The words hit home too easily. No one knew how she felt about her mother and sister--and why she stayed home. Not even Olivia, the best friend she'd ever had.

Maybe, this idea of hers, could help her...She honestly didn't feel like she'd coped with her father's death. He'd died, and then she'd been pushed into Hogwarts--too busy with a new life, to think about it much. There was always that stab of grief once and a while, but she got used to it... Never think or speak anything about it, and she would be fine.

Lily then, began thinking up just how to tell James about it... Could she just--blurt it out? She doubted it would be that easy. What had she been thinking when she agreed to this? Her curiosity about James, had finally gotten the better of her, it seemed.

Yes, it had always bugged her that James' regularly happy mood--even if he was a bit offensive towards her, changed to the worst around Christmas. 

While, normally, he would tease her and hurt her feelings frequently, once Lily put her bells in her hair--the teasing and feelings hurting, increased and he began pulling more and more pranks on her. Trying to destroy her optimistic mood and never succeeding. The hatred he felt for her--increased to such a heated level, sometimes Lily would be afraid of him... Meaning, she ran away when she saw him in the halls, and would throw cookies at him to get him off her case. 

Maybe James hated her so much--because it seemed like she represented Christmas.

This revelation struck her so fast, that it felt like a slap in the face. Her cookies almost went off in the wrong direction, because she forgot to charm them to go left with her. 

Maybe James didn't hate Lily at all--but just hated Christmas and the fact that Lily loved it so much.

This gave Lily, much needed confidence, and when she arrived in the Gryffindor Common Room, she sat beside James, threw the cookies practically at him, and waited for him to ask her to tell her, before she began her tale. 

"So, why do you love Christmas and why were you upset yesterday?" James asked, going for the direct approach.

"For one, they are connected."

"Oh. Interesting." James said, munching on a cookie--she got the feeling he was nervous--because James Potter did not munch, he gobbled.

"Yes...Well...Yesterday, I was rather upset, because--well." Why was this so difficult? Lily wondered, aggravated. "James, why do you think I don't go home for Christmas?"

"Because," James said through a mouthful of cookie. "You like to annoy me with your singing?"

"No...It's because...I'm not wanted at home."

"W-what?!" James spluttered, crumbs of cookie getting all over the place. 

"It's true, I...I don't like to spread it around." Lily said, nervously looking around the empty common room--the only thing that actually moved, was the fire place they were sitting beside.

"Why? I mean--there's nothing wrong with you, except that you are obsessed with Christmas--."

"That is exactly why my parents don't want me home," Lily said.

"But...I'd have thought all your family was a bunch of Christmas freaks," James said, more curious then ever.

"Well...No, there was just one--and he passed away before I came to school." 

"Who?" James asked.

"My father, he loved Christmas--he acted like I did around Christmas time. We'd sing along to stupid Christmas songs and over decorate our house..." Lily drifted off, and James was quiet, growing serious--obviously catching the hint that what she was about to tell him, was very private and personal. "I looked up to him more then anyone else..."

James nodded in understanding, after all, he'd been orphaned at the young age of ten...

"He... he put bells in my hair, every Christmas--because I liked the sound," Lily said quietly, "That's why I wear these things." Lily said, referring to the bells tied into her hair. "There's other things... The cookies--a recipe of his--he loved cookies." 

James crammed the rest of the batch of cookies in his mouth. 

"He loved Christmas more then anyone I'd ever known." Lily said, looking down, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Yelling at herself to suck it up. "When he died...My mother and sister couldn't stand the look of me. I was the short, young, female version of him--and everything about me reminded them of him."

"1st year, I wanted to go home so badly--."

James stared--realization coming over him, already knowing what she was about to say.

"But...They didn't want me--the couldn't take the memories I brought with them." 

"And I only made it worse by acting like an arse." James muttered.

"Oh no James! I never...I never honestly took you seriously." Lily confessed.

"Why?" James blurted.

"Because, you hate Christmas--and since I represent Christmas, you automatically hate me." Lily said.

"Were you crying yesterday--was it because your mother wouldn't let you come home again?" James asked tentatively.

"That? That was a letter from my Grandma Ruthy...She covers up for them, makes excuses for why I can't come home--this year and last, I think they were finally able to handle me and my Christmas Spirit--but... I just--."

"Couldn't get over the fact, that they rejected you in the first place?" James offered.

"Exactly. Besides, I already feel more at home here at Hogwarts then at home. But... I still really want to go..."

"Why don't you?" James inquired.

"Because... I well--I'm--."

"Do you think your helping them get over the loss of him, by hiding out here? That's what your doing Lily, you know that--don't you?"

"Well...Maybe, just a little. I--I can't face them! What if, I show up and they all start crying!?" Lily burst out.

"Then--Then you'll be there to cry with them." James said soothingly, scooting over to her and putting his arm around her. "Lily...I know you and I haven't been friends in the past," Lily snorted at this, "But...We're getting along now, aren't we?" 

Lily nodded reluctantly.

"So, now you will believe me when I say--that you need to deal with this." 

"I will James...Eventually." Lily sniffled, forcing herself not to cry. 

"As long as eventually is soon." James said, satisfied.

"Now, you owe me an explanation." Lily said, turning on James. James suddenly jumped away and looked highly uncomfortable.

"Well...You know--Christmas--too many presents...all the merchandise--what are they turning Christmas into? A modern gift bag?!" James started rambling, "You know, Christmas used to have so much meaning. Family, friends--annoying brother-in-laws, what happened to that?" James kept bantering on with himself for a while, until Lily's laughter finally reached his ears.

"J-James..." Lily giggled, "Sometimes, you really make me laugh." 

"Hey--I saw nothing funny about that!" James snapped.

"Oh come on--you were babbling like a house wife." Lily accused, suddenly getting into battle stance.

"I was not! You just think everything I do is the funniest thing in the world!" James growled. 

"I just have a good sense of humor! Unlike_ some_ people I know..." Lily said, the calm mood between them over--things were heating up fast. 

"Don't be so daft _Evans_, we all know you couldn't tell the difference between a joke and a plecostamus!"

"What?" Lily whipped. "Honestly _Potter!_ Making up words to get your points across. That's really low." Lily snipped, and left the room in a rush, but not before calling back towards him, "You STILL owe me an explanation!"

"Oh...Eat slugs!" James grumbled to himself.

So, Lily had once again, failed to get it out of James--why did he hate Christmas so?

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

_**A/N *Cries* All you reviewers are so kind...You have NO idea how much your reviews mean to me...*sobs* I'm getting a bit over emotional about this...Honestly, I got a bit choked up about it...**_

**_So, Lily and James are fighting again. It's not like they can help it--it's normal routine. They don't HATE each other, but just--have a rather dislike for one another. James doesn't hate Lily, obviously--he's just very private--He's going to regret putting off telling her...I think...I'm not sure, we'll see._**

**_Sorry it took so long to update...Well, it was only a few days, so what the heck am I apologizing for? :-D Anyway..._**

**_Chapter 6:_**

**_Lily gets in trouble with the geese. Lily and James make a subconscious truce. The Marauders and Lily go caroling with a few ghosts and run into Snape--and Lily and James have a somewhat serious chat._**

**_I don't know how well the song fit this chapter...I tried, that's what counts...:-)_**

_*~Sierra~*_


	7. Here We Come A Wassailing

***¤*.¸¸.·´¨`»*«´¨`·. ¸¸.*¤***

** Mr. Grinch **

_ James Vs. Christmas. Will James Potter Finally Get In the Christmas Spirit?_

By 

_ Sierra Sitruc_

Here We Come A-Wassailing 
    
    _Here we come a-wassailing_
    
    _Among the leaves so green;_
    
    _Here we come a-wand'ring_
    
    _So fair to be seen._
    
    _ Love and joy come to you,_
    
     And to you your wassail too;
    
     And God bless you and send you
    
     a happy New Year
    
     And God send you a happy New Year.
    
    _We are not daily beggars_
    
    _That beg from door to door;_
    
    _But we are neighbors' children,_
    
    _Whom you have seen before._
    
    _Good master and mistress,_
    
    _As you sit by the fire,_
    
    _Pray think of us poor children_
    
    _Who wander in the mire._

**Chapter 6**

7 Days Until Christmas

Lily felt terrible, she was cold, she was tired, had a splitting headache, was still very irritated with James and--_what was that noise?_! It was just too early for things like this. 

_Was that...Quacking_? She wondered, _If it is, I'm going to--oh no. _

It wasn't quacking, but honking she heard. _SIX GEESE A LAYING!? Is this going a little bit too **far**?_! She thought to herself, jumping out of bed, and yanking the blankets off that had been entangled with her feet. 

She rounded up the geese, clucking at them and whatnot; trying to get them to cooperate. Then of course, they turned on her._ (**A/N** This happened to me in real life once...*shivers* camp memories..._)

Soon, SHE was the one being rounded up. Six against one wasn't exactly fair--but hey she was a witch! She grabbed her wand off her night stand and shot food pellets at them, and ran out the door, slamming it behind her. Unaware that she looked pretty ridiculous standing in her pajamas, her hair mused, and holding her wand as if she were in a duel to the death. 

She let out a slow breath, feeling calmer now that the evil geese were on one side--and she the other. 

Lily knew that she'd have to think of a plan--for one, she was going to have to lock her dorm at night--because, no matter how flattered she was that someone was giving her presents--this was a bit much--and birds weren't exactly romantic. Then of course, it was creepy that someone could sneak into her room...

Then, she needed a plan on getting those geese out of her dorm before they ruined everything in sight, She really didn't like the idea of goose poop all over the floor. And imagine--someone out there must think this was--_romantic_, she thought in disgust.

She felt self-conscious in her red and green reindeer pajamas...She was the only girl who'd stayed behind in Gryffindor at all this year--and she didn't know the older or younger boys who had stayed...So this left her with the Marauders.

Lily, decided not to take this option, as she didn't feel like being made fun of this early in the morning. (It was 5:30) Lily griped about for a bit, thinking of what to do.

She heard something on the other side of her door that sounded like glass breaking. She groaned, and dropped to the floor, leaning against her door.

"Evans?" James Potter asked, entering the quiet hall way from his dorm across from hers.. (_**A/N **I am a supporter, who believes that the girls & boys share ONE stair case, and the girls are on one side and the boys on the other_.) 

Lily tried to glare at him--since he looked adorably cute, his hair was sticking up in every direction, and his flannel pajamas made him look child like, it was difficult to be mad at something so sweet looking.

"Yes--_Potter_?" Lily replied, keeping on her snappy attitude from the night before.

James scratched his head. "What are you doing awake?" 

"There are...six geese in my dorm." Lily answered almost inaudibly.

"Really?" Lily could_ feel_ his grin of delight. 

"Yes, and they chased me out of the room." James burst out cackling. "They were vicious!" Lily defended her behavior. "Now, since you're here, you can help me out--and clear_ them_ out."

"Who says I have to do that?" James asked, walking over to her. Lily then quite abruptly, leapt up, opened the door and shoved James in her dorm so fast he didn't get much choice in the matter as to what to do at all.

"Me!" Lily shrieked, and shut the door. James pulled it back, and soon they were in a door war. 

"Lily! These geese are frightening! Let me out!" James groused, but Lily could tell he was more amused then angry.

"No, I think not!" Lily said, trying to keep her balance--James was a lot stronger then her and she was leaning back to keep him from opening the door completely.

James finally gave one huge tug and pulled the door completely open, bringing Lily with it. 

She toppled into him, losing her balance finally, and falling on her bottom. Just to be mischievous she tugged James down too. 

"You know Lily, that wasn't very nice." James said, chuckling to himself anyway. 

"I know, but it was fun." There was no need to say it, but a truce had been made between the two. Lily was always a forgiving person, no matter how hard she _didn't _want to forgive someone.

"Fun, yes, safe no." James said, pointing to the geese that were eyeing the two fifth years. 

"Eep!" Lily squeaked. 

"Kvitt geese!" James cried holding out his wand, and the geese turned into--large piles of feathers.

"Wow, James what's that _spell?_" Lily asked, awed.

"Oh, that? It's a 'rid of the bugs' spell, and I just changed it to apply to geese." James shrugged. 

"Why'd you have your wand with you?" Lily asked, curious.

"Um, just to be...Safe?" James said weakly, and Lily rolled her eyes. 

"Come on Potter, get out of my dorm--I need my beauty sleep." Lily said, kicking him out of her dorm (literally)

"Hey!" James griped, rubbing his shins as she shut the door on him. She didn't hear him mutter. "Beauty sleep? Lily? She doesn't _need_ it..." 

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

"Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way! Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh--hey! Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way! Hmm...What are the rest of the words to that song?" Lily wondered, as she went up the stairs from dinner that night, she had her arm knitted through Sirius and Remus', and James seemed really put out that she hadn't wanted to link arms with _him._

"James, don't be such a Dementor!" Sirius said good naturedly, "Just because Lily's not holding your hand, ("I'm not holding anybody's hand!" Came Lily's protest.) doesn't mean you can pout."

"_What_?" James asked distractedly. 

Lily laughed, noticing he hadn't paid attention at all to what she or the others had been talking about. Lily was definitely starting to see the good points of Sirius and Remus. They were quite funny, and witty when they _wanted_ to be, but also a pain in the arse for the rest of the time.

They continued to talk, and about half way up to Gryffindor Tower, they ran into a group of ghosts, including three of the house ghosts (the Bloody Baron was mysteriously, absent as usual). 

Then, to their surprise, the ghosts burst into song. "Dashing through the snow, In a one-horse open sleigh, Through the fields we go, Laughing all the way, Bells on bob-tail ring, Making spirits bright, What fun it is to ride and sing, A sleighing song tonight!" 

"Ah! So that's the words!" Lily exclaimed in the middle of the ghosts' song. Apparently, the ghosts were caroling that night. The ghosts finished their song, and Lily immediately asked, "Can we four join you?"

The ghosts looked at each other, and Remus, Sirius and James looked frightened. "Lily--we are NOT going caroling." James all but yelped.

"Yes you are." Lily said with a nod, "Come on, the ghosts won't mind."

"Do come along! It'll be so much fun!" The Ravenclaw ghost jittered. 

"Oh no...Another one of Lily's 'get me in the spirit' ideas." James muttered to Sirius and Remus, who didn't seem too enthused about the idea either.

"So, where do we go? When we're caroling, I mean." Lily asked the ghosts.

"Well, mostly we just walk around singing--everywhere." Nearly Headless Nick told them.

"That'll be fine then! Just fine!" Lily giggled, very excited. She grabbed James' hand and they followed the ghosts. Remus and Sirius laughed at James who was turning a bright shade of red, and Lily didn't seem to notice at all.

James and the other Marauders refused to sing--until Lily cast a handy charm that MADE them sing...It turns out, James had a very nice baritone voice. Sirius though...Was another matter altogether.

He croaked like a frog, and Lily had to bite her tongue a few times just so she wouldn't laugh at him. Her not laughing, didn't stop the friendly ghosts from laughing, however. Sirius, luckily, didn't seem embarrassed at all--just a bit uncomfortable.

Near the corridors by the Slytherin common room--Sirius seemed to get even louder. Of course, it could be because they were singing, "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" and wanted to make sure the Slytherins heard such a muggle song. 

"...coming home from our house Christmas Eve...!" Sirius shouted at the top of his lungs--the charm was gone now, and Sirius wasn't singing--but just yelling the lyrics out loudly.

James and Remus continued to sing in their quiet voices, too afraid of the consequences, though they were both trying to clobber Sirius to make him shut up at the same time.

"Having fun_ Potter_?" Came the sneer of Severus Snape. 

Lily, knowing it was for James' dignity, removed the charms. 

James, finding he could speak immediately spat out to Snape. "Yes actually. Christmas is so much more fun when you have_ friends_ around."

"Yeah, it is isn't? Where are your friends at? All I see are a bunch of lunatics, ghosts, and a mudblood." Snape growled.

The Marauders, Lily and the ghosts all took offense immediately. "That's no way to show Slytherin behavior." Nick said.

"No, not at all." The Far Friar agreed. "Where's the bloody baron when you need him?" 

Snape smirked, eyeing James' livid face. "You know Potter, if you keep that face on long enough, it'll stay that way." James turned even redder.

"James." Lily whispered touching his arm. "Stay calm." She soothed, she'd noticed his fists clenching, and could sense another fight. "You don't need another black eye."

"He called you a _mudblood_ Lily." James gritted out. 

"I know, but it doesn't bother me--."

"It should." James said fiercely, finally looking at her. His eyes were full of anger and Lily was glad it wasn't directed at her. She'd never seen him look so furious. His brown eyes seemed to hold a fire within them.

"James, I think we should go." Lily said, looking at Remus and Sirius--who also looked ready for a brawl. 

"You don't want to do anything about it? Nothing?" James whispered harshly to her. Lily glanced at Snape who seemed to be just waiting for them to do something to him. 

"Yes, nothing. It's Christmas--just leave him alone. He wants to provoke you, he wants to get you into trouble." Lily said wisely. 

"You really want to just leave?" James asked finally, his eyes softening.

"Yeah, please--let's just go back to the tower." 

"Okay then..." James said with a sigh. "Come on Sirius, Remus." James called. "Let's not risk the chance of killing Snape, because I'd hate to have to make his mother bury him at Christmas time."

Snape blinked, surprised almost that they weren't going to fight. The ghosts smiled proudly at James, for not leaping at the chance to beat up Snape, like he normally would. The Ravenclaw ghost smiled warmly at Lily. 

"Good job." She whispered as the four Gryffindors walked past. Lily just grinned softly back, and then glanced at Snape and flinched at the look of hatred he sent her way. 

She'd never quite understood why Snape hated her so much. Yes, she _was_ a muggle-born and pretended not to care, but it didn't stop her from feeling upset over it. None of the Slytherins liked her because of something she couldn't help.

She was used to everyone generally liking her. Then she came to Hogwarts and made more "enemies" then ever before. Maybe that was why she was so much nicer to the Slytherins than everyone else--she was still trying to get them to like her, even if it _was _useless. 

Maybe it was the same reason as to why she was nice to the Marauders, even though they'd shown before how much they didn't like her. The pranks, the teasing...She just ignored it, and reached out for friendship, showing them how kind she could be. 

It had to be why she was trying to make James like Christmas. She wanted him to think Christmas wasn't bad, so he would like her--or at least _respect _her. Lily knew it was probably too much to ask, but there wasn't anything she could do.

"Lily?" James asked, interrupting her thoughts. 

"Hmm?" Lily looked up at him.

"Why--why do you put up with that? _How_ do you put up with it?" James asked her, walking beside her now, staring intently--maybe trying to see the secrets she wasn't telling him or read her thoughts. 

"With what?" Lily asked, knowing very well what he wanted to know.

"You know...People--people calling you_ that_." James said, looking awkward and uncomfortable. "I know it's a bit of a personal question...but I just want to know. If I had been you, I'd have--I dunno, cursed him or something." 

Lily laughed nervously. "Oh James, don't be silly. It's not that hard. Whatever Snape or the other Slytherins--or anyone for that matter, thinks about me doesn't bother me. They don't know me, and it's not going to make them like me by screaming and throwing curses at them." Lily said, trying to get the subject of conversation off _her_ and end the conversation quickly, she didn't like where it was going...and there was something about James that made her blab all her secrets--so the conversation, would mostly end with her embarrassing herself or saying something silly.

"Doesn't bother you _at all_?" James asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Okay...Maybe a little. I don't like the fact that someone doesn't like me because of something I was born as. It's racist--. I just blow it off, and try to force myself to make it not matter. But it will always matter. I'm going to have to put up with this for the rest of my life; you can't fight off everyone who insults you, can you? About half of the Wizarding World believes I'm scum, and I don't plan on brainwashing them to like me. I've learned to deal with it--and so can you." Lily said knowledgably. She wasn't sure if she'd been exactly truthful with him there, but it was good enough.

"So, you just deal with it?" James questioned.

"Yeah...Sometimes it's not easy. Like...Every once and a while I want to punch Snape in the nose when he calls me_ that,_ and sometimes I want to curse Narcissa Malfoy-to-be, but I can't. It'll only hurt me more just by fighting back." Lily said with a shrug. There was silence for a few moments.

"What would you have done back there--if I _had_ punched Snape?" James asked out of the blue.

"I would have deducted points from both your houses and screamed a lot about how immature you were." Lily said, smiling up at him.

"Well, I'm glad I missed that." James muttered. Lily hit him playfully. 

"I'm not that bad! You always make me out to be this big ugly monster!" Lily said accusingly, but still in a friendly teasing way.

"Well--just a Christmas Monster, but still--a monster." James said, and Lily giggled. 

"You are SUCH a dork." Lily said through her giggles.

"And you giggle too much." James said, and it only made her giggle more. 

"I'm s-sorry, but--there's s-something about you that m-makes m-me laugh easily." Lily said, trying to catch her breath. When she'd managed she asked him, "It doesn't bother you, does it?" 

"No, actually, it's--a good feeling watching you laugh." James said, his cheeks turning a slight red color and Lily felt horrified to notice she too was blushing. 

"Oh--well then." She said awkwardly. 

"Ah." He said, "Remus? How's that--Erm--thing going?"

"What thing?" 

"That _thing_..." James said cocking his head to the side.

"I can't remember. What thing?" Remus asked again.

"You know, that _thing_ you told me about earlier today?" James hinted once more, and by then Sirius and Lily were having trouble not laughing; it was obvious Remus was just doing this to annoy James.

"Oh--the _one_ thing?" Remus said, pretending to be catching on.

"Yeah, that one." James said with a sigh. "So how's the _thing_ going?" James said, a hint of good humor coming back to his eye. 

"Well, I think Christmas is giving _the thing_ a headache but otherwise--I think your fine." Remus said grinning.

"Oh Remus, you stupid git!" James growled shaking his head as Remus laughed and Lily and Sirius joined in. 

"Stupid I may be, but at least I don't make a fool of myself like _you_ do. That takes a greater amount of stupidity my friend."

James tried to be mad, but he found it more funny then anything. "Stupidity _my friend_," James said mocking Remus, "Is only measured by the stupidity of those_ around_ you." The four continued their friendly banter for the rest of the walk up to the Gryffindor Common Room. 

The halls decorated for Christmas, gave off an air of cheer with the promise of good things to come. Good things indeed. 

***¤*.¸¸.·´¨`»*«´¨`·. ¸¸.*¤***

**_A/N That's that! I didn't really like my ending, and it seemed to be getting....Hmm....Pointless, well the ending was really pointless, but there's more of a point later! :-) Don't get pricked!_**

**_ Anyway, Merry Christmas again! Only...15 days until Christmas! 15 days until I turn 15...Ooh, that's cool! _**

**_Thank you all reviewers, I've had a lot of people say it 'gets them in the Christmas spirit' or cheers them up or something. I *love* those reviews!! They make me feel all--warm and giggly inside! *grins* I'm actually enjoying typing my author note!! Well...I always do, but normally, it's just crap..._**

**_ Chapter 7:_**

**_Seven Swans a swimming brings something interesting about--maybe a hint as to who the gift giver is? They all go on a sleigh ride, and...Um...There's some hinting at L/J and...Lily and James try and prevent the gift giver from getting into her dorm...Will they succeed? I guess you'll have to wait for chapter 8!_**

**_20 reviews is all I ask for each chapter! So that means...About 175, please? PLEASE?? *puppy face* how can you resist?_**

**_*~Sierra~*_**


	8. Sleigh Ride

**_ A/N I want to say, that since not everyone believes in God--I'm keeping away from the subject of Christmas celebrating Jesus' birth. So, that might explain this chapter omitting that. _**

**_Also, for those who saw--that last chapter really did a funny thing didn't it? It the lyrics?? I didn't notice for a while...Oops._**

** *¤*.¸¸.·´¨`»*«´¨`·. ¸¸.*¤***

**Mr. Grinch **

_James Vs. Christmas. Will James Potter Finally Get In the Christmas Spirit?_

By 

_Sierra Sitruc_

Sleigh Ride 

_Just hear those sleigh bells jingling   
Ring ting tingling too   
Come on, it's lovely weather   
For a sleigh ride together with you_

_  
Outside the snow is falling   
And friends are calling "You Hoo"   
Come on, it's lovely weather   
For a sleigh ride together with you_

_  
Giddy-yap giddy-yap giddy-yap let's go   
Let's look at the show   
We're riding in a wonderland of snow   
Giddy-yap giddy-yap giddy-yap it's grand   
Just holding your hand _

_   
We're gliding along with the song   
Of a wintry fairy land  
Our cheeks are nice and rosy   
And comfy cozy are we _

_   
We're snuggled up together like two   
Birds of a feather would be   
Let's take the road before us   
And sing a chorus or two _

_   
Come on, it's lovely weather   
For a sleigh ride together with you  
_

**Chapter 7**

6 Days Until Christmas

Lily's alarms she'd decided to set up the night before, did not keep the_ love sick boy _ away it seemed, because that morning Lily felt even more violated to find that she was floating on the lake in her bed, with seven swans swimming around her. 

"How'd he get me out here?" Lily wondered, it also occurred to her, that it seemed a warming charm had been cast around her, because the cold air didn't bother her at all.

She would have felt enraged, had she not seen the gold painted lily flower, sitting beside her pillow. "_Aww,_" she couldn't help saying as she picked it up, feeling suddenly light and giddy. 

"How sweet. Now... How do I get back to shore? And while I'm thinking of that...How do I get my bed back to my dorm?" The lily the mystery boy had given her, made her feel less disturbed by the fact that she and her bed had been carried all the way down to the lake--or as it was more likely--floated down to the lake by magic.

"I'll give him an 'A' for creativity," she muttered, as she let her fingers trail lazily in the lake--surprised to find the water was warm. The mystery boy had taken every precaution it seemed. It also explained why the ice on the lake had disappeared. "Now I don't feel so sorry for the swans." As long as no one was freezing she didn't mind waking up on the lake.

She waited for an hour before she noticed a small group of students walking towards her, they were unidentified until one called out. "_LILY_!?" It was the three remaining Marauders. Lily waved. 

They managed to charm her back toward them, she floated along. Simply sitting cross legged, the swans following along behind her. 

"Lily, I'm not even going to ask why you're out there." Sirius said, shaking his head in dismay. 

"It's a good thing James woke us up early, or who knows how long you'd be stuck out here!" Remus exclaimed, and James smiled weakly, looking a bit uncomfortable. 

"Come on, Lily," he said, giving her a hand off her bed. "I think I can transfigure your bed into a small toy one--then we can carry it up to your room again." He said thoughtfully.

"What about the swans?" Lily asked.

"What have you been doing with all the other birds?" James questioned back.

"Giving them to McGonagall for future classes to transfigure," Lily said sheepishly. 

"Just give them to her--she'll understand," James advised her.

"Right."

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"I can't _ believe_ Dumbledore arranged this!" Lily cried, very excited, running about towards her destination through the snow on the Hogwarts grounds.

James, Sirius and Remus lagged behind her. "Yeah, I can't believe it either," James muttered. 

"Oh! Don't be silly! Even_ YOU_ have to like sleigh rides!" Lily said, waiting for them to catch up. "Maybe it will even get you...In the Christmas Spirit!" 

"How exactly do you define _Christmas Spirit_, anyway?" James asked her, as he caught up to her. Lily linked arms with him. 

"Christmas Spirit?" Lily repeated, the question seemed difficult--but then she found an answer. "I guess it's actually just--simply _feeling_ Christmas all around you- in the air, in the snow, in the voices of little kids, in-" she giggled, twirling around, "-Santa Claus!"

"But how do you know when you've felt it?" James asked. 

"How do you know when you're happy?" Lily pointed out.

James was quiet a moment, looking pensive. "Well, I see what you're saying--but how will I know if I feel it anyway? Christmas is just a bunch of stuff going on to me. I mean--there's decorations, presents, annoying singing... How is there a _ feeling _from that?" 

"You'll know James. 'Christmas' is just the label. It's... I think what it really is--is just enjoying the Christmas time and for the moment there is so much love and caring around you--and fun--it's what Christmas brings, Christmas doesn't just bring decorations, singing and presents--it's the time where you celebrate being loved and having friends and family. It slows everyone down long enough to take the time to bother with family..." Lily paused, thinking of her own family. "Or friends," She added hastily, also recalling James' family had passed away. 

"So--Christmas is just the time where we celebrate things we've had all year?" James asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes, it's--giving all those things a special time of year to really flourish." Lily explained.

"What things were these again?"

"Love, family, friends--kindness..." Lily listed. "All the good things in life that we don't always see too much." 

"Wow," James breathed.

"What?" Lily asked, turning her head towards him. 

"I don't know--but that was just...Never mind."

"James Potter--did you--?" Lily started to ask.

"No. It was just--" James started blushing deeply. "You looked--really beautiful just then. I mean--you were so passionate about it."

Lily's eyes widened and she felt a blush sinking into her cheeks. "Um...Yeah, you know I can't help it," Lily mumbled.

They were quiet for the moment. "So... sleigh rides, huh?" James asked awkwardly. "Did I tell you I fell off one once and broke my arm?"

"You _did!?_ Oh no wonder you don't seem to enthusiastic about it!" Lily laughed, the awkward moment completely forgotten. 

Lily had been oh-so-excited when she found out they were going to get sleigh rides around Hogsmeade. It was an afternoon thing, and they'd be back after dark. They were going to look at Hogsmeade's Christmas lights--they had a muggle like thing where they set up all sorts of fancy magical lighting displays. 

James and Lily chatted until they got to the spot where the horseless sleighs awaited them. They were different from the ones they took to Hogwarts from the train stop at the beginning of the year. These were smaller--two people to each sleigh. 

"James, I claim you as my sleigh partner!" Lily giggled, grabbing his hand and finding one of the numerous sleighs to ride in. James all the while rolling his eyes and grinning. 

Remus and Sirius looked highly uncomfortable for a moment, discovering they were going to be riding in a sleigh together--it made them feel like they were--_dating _or something. _(**A/N** *chants* I won't slash them...I won't slash them...I won't slash them...) _That was until they were saved by two cute Ravenclaw girls, who they paired off with instead.

"No offense Sirius," Remus whispered, "But I'd rather hang around a pretty girl then you any day."

Sirius chuckled and whispered back, "None taken, and you aren't much in comparison to a pretty girl either." With that the two jumped into their sleighs.

Lily laughed as she watched the two converse. "Your friends are funny, Potter." She said to him. 

"I know--I've been teaching them for years," James said nonchalantly. 

Lily snorted, "Really? I would have thought they'd taught you!" 

"Hey! I'm way funnier then they are!" James said, pretending to be insulted.

"Oh, shut up, you know I'm kidding. You are all on the same_ funny_ level." Lily said, waving it off.

"I'll take that as a compliment then." James said haughtily. "Though, maybe I shouldn't..."

"James--just drop it," Lily said, trying to be stern, but a few giggles escaped her. 

"You are too happy," James said, shaking his head.

"Too happy?" Lily was about to say more, but the sleigh took off and interrupted her train of thought. The sleighs got them to Hogsmeade in no time, and it slowed down on the snow covered streets of the village so they could all take in the view. 

It was a tight fit in the sleigh with all their thick cloaks and winter apparel. Lily tried not to feel uncomfortable being that close to James, but it was hard--especially when he decided to put his arm around her. Lily felt her cheeks heating up and kept her eyes glued ahead. When she did finally manage a glance at James she caught him blushing as well.

The Hogsmeade Lights were beautiful, there were fairies and sprites everywhere lighting up the place. House elves handed out candy and several drunken dwarves dressed up as Santa's elves and serenaded them with songs. 

"This is so much fun!" Lily laughed, throwing her head back. James however did not seem to share her opinion, he looked rather miserable, his head resting on his hand--staring into space. "James? Perk up a bit why don't you! This might be your last happy time 'til New Years!" 

"I'm worried something awful will happen to me if I start to enjoy myself," James told her.

Lily snorted disbelievingly. "Really James--nothing's going to happen." 

"How do you know that, might I ask?" James inquired.

"I'm here, and as long as I'm here--you won't break your arm, or something crazy like that," Lily told him fake comfortingly, as she patted his mass of messy hair. 

"I feel so safe," James said sarcastically.

"I thought you would," Lily said, then she burst out, "Oh, bloody hell! Look-y there!" She pointed behind them, she and James scrambled up on their knees to watch. "I can't believe it! Willa Watson and Davy Gudgeon! The most popular girl and boy in school--are snogging like bunnies!"

"Technically," James said thoughtfully, "Bunnies can't snog." 

"True, but still--I thought they hated each other!" Lily said, trying to digest what she'd seen in the sleigh behind them. "Um, I'm turning around now--this is getting past the rating of PG." 

"Huh? PG?" James asked clueless.

"Muggles rate movies. PG-Parental Guidance recommended, and don't ask me to explain." Lily decided to avoid questioning she should steer clear of that subject. "Can you believe it though--I didn't see it coming! Willa and Davy!"

"Well, some people are really good at hiding their inter feelings." James said, as he and Lily found a comfortable position against each other.

"True, I think...Some people don't know what they feel--and they just keep it inside when they're confused about it," Lily said contemplatively. 

"Or maybe, they did know what they felt--but were unsure of what the other felt, and so they kept quiet and put on this crazy facade of hating one another to keep it a secret. Maybe Davy teased Willa like he did, so she wouldn't catch on that he--loved her or something," James said musingly. 

Lily stared at him, "James--that was..."

"Stupid?" James offered, with a lopsided grin.

"No, sweet." Lily said, giving him a shy smile back. "Now--changing the subject--did you just see that candy cane!? It was REAL and it was like--8 feet tall." Lily and James leaned over to the right and stared.

"Ugh, look how many people are licking it at once! That thing has to be--40 centimeters wide!" James exclaimed. "Bloody muddy hell!"

"Muddy?" Lily giggled. 

"It was something Sirius made up..." James said sheepishly. 

Lily took one last look at the biggest candy cane she'd ever seen in her life and settle back down, leaning against James and he awkwardly put his arm around her. 

They continued to observe the lights for about an hour, before the sleighs turned around and took them back to the school. 

"That was so wonderful," Lily said, as James gave her a hand down to step out of the sleigh. 

"It was okay," James said with a shrug. "But I think the candy cane was the highlight of the whole event."

"You know what? I think you're right. That brilliant--not hard to do--but brilliant. I found it ever so funny." Lily said, smiling at the memory. 

They grouped up with those from their house, and headed back to Gryffindor Tower all of them talking excitedly about everything they'd seen. Remus and Sirius agreed that it was 'okay', and James said, 'it was an inch from torture', though it might have been exaggeration. 

"James, can I ask you something?" Lily asked, coming up beside him. 

"Yeah?" 

"Would you help me out?" 

"With what?" James asked.

"Well...You know, I've been getting strange presents...And tomorrow--if all follows the same pattern. I'm going to wake up with eight maids, and that means eight cows. In my dorm." Lily told him. "And what I need from you...is to--well--set up some charms to catch them in action. I want to know who it is."

"Sure I'll help."

"Thanks! I really owe you one..." 

"Don't even mention it." James said.

They both went to work, once back at the tower, casting all sorts of alarms that would go off when someone passed. They also added some protection charms against bad smells. If cows did get into her dorm, she didn't want to have them stench it up. 

Lily thanked James as he was leaving. "It wasn't a problem."

"Yeah, but it was still very sweet of you." James looked a bit embarrassed. "You've been awfully quiet for a while, are you feeling okay?"

"Uh huh, I'm fine. Good night Lily."

"Night James."  


** *¤*.¸¸.·´¨`»*«´¨`·. ¸¸.*¤***

**_ A/N This chapter had more Christmas stuff then the last, so that's a good up point. I don't like this chapter though--it's awful!! Argh! I can never make things the way I want--but, there were hints of L/J you just have to take a look, no I didn't go right out and TELL you and I didn't make it so obvious...But it's there. :-) Things are starting to get good._**

**_Ok, if you want me to point it out--James and Lily were talking about the snogging couple behind them. Hmm, is that enough snogging to hold you off reviewers?? LOL._**

**_I'm sorry if the ending sucked, but--well, I can't make it any better._**

**_Today (December 12th) was supposed to be my real birthday, so enjoy Chapter 7!! While I try and convince the DMV I really am 15 by due date of birth...I always have been a late child...I just HAD To pick Christmas to show up on though..._**

**_THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS!! Honestly, when I got home from school after carrying boxes of heavy cookie dough everywhere, and I saw that I had gotten 190 reviews and had only asked for 175...I laughed and squealed a lot, typical teen reaction I guess. You have NO idea how much I appreciate it! _**

**_My current best story, has been in the slumps lately, so this really cheered me up. Yeah FWTE, as I know a lot of you read, is on break until I feel satisfied with the review amount and with chapter 21. _**

**_Chapter 8:_**

**_Well...I can't say too much on it, as it isn't planned out like the others, but--James gets gripey about Christmas, and will (as it is in process of being typed) probably have Lily find out why James hates Christmas...I think, but it's not a sure thing yet! I'm just going to let you wonder about the cows...Am I THAT crazy?? I'm not sure yet..._**

**_REVIEW! Only to 210, and I'll TRY and update, I might not have it finished and betaed yet, but I'll try and type as fast as possible, I've been rushing like a mad person to get this done, while doing tons of other things and being stressed out with school, so I think this is going AMAZINGLY well, normally it takes me forever to post..._**

**_REVIEW REVIEW! And be...Merry. _**

**_Merry Christmas Reviewers! I'd send you presents, but I'm poor!!_**

**_ *~Sierra~*_**


	9. I Won't Be Home For Christmas

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim that I claim them.

_**A/N I only took a few lines from the song this time, because a lot of them messed with my story too much...But I love the song, so I just couldn't help but stick it in...I took out all the funny parts...**_

**_"Bloody muddy hell" was an apparent favorite from last chapter. *shrugs* it just came to me..._**

**_Thanks for going 40 reviews over what I asked for!!! It really, really, positively absolutely made my day!!!_**

**_SORRY for the long delay, but first--my beta-reader never answered me back (WHERE ARE YOU Y. Kuang?)--I haven't been able to get a hold of her, but when I do...Well, I'll feel bad for posting this before she got to check all the mistakes...It's going to be a_ wreck! **

**_Second reason for it being late--I'm _sick._ Tuesday, I felt like barfing my guts out all over the place for most of the morning, and I don't believe I'll be going to school Wednesday either--my mom's not letting me! And I can't get this silly speech done yet because my head is killing me, and typing this probably isn't helping the headache along._**

**_Why do I always get sick around CHRISTMAS? I don't know, but it's very annoying to be sick around your birthday._**

**_It's very much un beta-ed, so look out for the mistakes...I TRIED to fix them all, but the likeliness of it coming out well is low. So, be happy this even came out! Maybe I'll feel well enough to type on Chapter 9 tomorrow...Good lord-y I feel sick...My stomach is burning...Evil grilled cheese..._**

**_THANKS AGAIN for all the reviews...I wish I could thank you all--I mean really--that was about...60 reviews altogether! Now I feel like crying...And not just because of the pain either! _**

**_Thanks for making me feel better, and feeling like an appreciated author!_**

**_I LOVE YOU ALL!_**

***¤*.¸¸.·´¨`»*«´¨`·. ¸¸.*¤***

**Mr. Grinch **

_James Vs. Christmas. Will James Potter Finally Get In the Christmas Spirit?_

By 

_Sierra Sitruc_

**I Won't Be Home For Christmas **

  
_  
  
Outside the carolers start to sing  
I can't describe the joy they bring  
cause joy is something they don't bring me  
  
their whiny voices get irritating  
It's Christmas time again  
  
So I stand with a dead smile on my face  
wondering how much of my time they'll waste  
oh God, I hate these Satan's helpers  
  
And then I guess I must have snapped  
because I grabbed the baseball bat  
and made them all run for shelter  
  
It's Christmas time, again  
It's time to be nice to the people you can't stand, all year  
I'm growing tired of all this Christmas cheer  
  
You people scare me  
please stay away from my home  
If you don't want to get beat down  
just leave the presents and then leave me alone  
  
It's Christmas time, again  
It's time to be nice to the people you can't stand, all year  
I'm growing tired of all this Christmas cheer  
  
You people scare me  
please stay away from my home  
If you don't want to get beat down  
just leave the presents and then leave me alone  
  
I won't be home, I won't be home for Christmas....I won't be home..._

_--Blink182_

**Chapter 8**

5 Days Until Christmas

"Ahh! Ahh! Ahh! AHH!" Lily Evans screamed as she woke up to her dorm--filled with 8 cows and 8 unknown girls milking them. "OUT! OUT! OUT!" She screeched, her bed was surrounded and she couldn't very well get out, the maids didn't seem to hear her. It was like they were in some sort of trance...

_"Lily?_!" She heard from across the crowded dorm.

_"James?"_ Lily called out.

"Yeah--where _are_ you?" James yelled.

"On my _bed_." Lily said flatly.

"OKAY!" James said. "I'm coming!" 

"Thank MERLIN!" Lily added, watching the cows carefully.

"Holy Cow!" Lily heard James exclaim, as he fought the cows. 

After a few minutes of dodging cows, James and his messy pajamas came into view. It was still dark, but Lily could make out his same blue pajamas she's seen a few days ago.

"James, thank Merlin's beard you're here!" Lily cried, tugging James on her bed and hugging him tightly. 

"Um...You alright Lils?" James asked, looking down at her head, currently resting on his chest. 

"I have...a phobia of cows." Lily mumbled into his night shirt. It was then James noticed how hard Lily was breathing and that he could feel her heart pounding. 

"Cows are harmless--unless of course one kicks you or falls on you..."

"James!" Lily cried. 

"Sorry, but they won't hurt you. Don't worry." James soothed stroking her hair. They sat that way for a few moments, before Lily muttered.

"I feel really stupid now." 

"Ah, well--imagine how stupid I feel? I just barged through a bunch of cows in my pajamas, and you are too annoying to bother with anyway." James grinned sitting back away from her. 

"Thanks for rescuing me James." Lily said, while rolling her eyes in exasperation at the comment on her being annoying, when HE was the annoying one most times anyway.

"Don't even mention it. It was a pleasure, nothing like fighting cows at 3 in the morning." James said. 

"Um, excuse me miss?" Lily asked, tapping the maid closest to her and was surprised when her hand went right through the woman's shoulder.

"Amazing--it's an illusion!" James exclaimed, seemingly shocked.

"It's brilliant." Lily breathed. "I wonder if the cows are too--." James reached out and smacked a cow and predictably he almost fell over when his hand went through it. "Cool! Now how to undo it..."

"Finite Incantetum!" James said, after pulling his wand out of his pajama pocket. The cow immediately disappeared. 

Soon all the cows and maids were gone. "Thanks again for saving me James."

"Lily--really it wasn't anything. Anyway...I'd better be going." James said. 

"Right, it'd be awful if McGonagall came by and found you in my room." Lily said, shoving him out the door. 

"Yeah--yeah. I know you can never wait to get rid of me." James grumbled, as Lily slammed the door and crawled back to her bed for some nice, good sleep. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"Stupid Aunt." James grumbled, as he entered the Great Hall for lunch. He had been saying that all morning, and Lily was fairly clueless as to why. He'd started at breakfast when he'd gotten a letter from them, and Lily's curiosity was at it's peak. 

James held the letter clutched in his hand, suddenly a mist of ghosts entered caroling again--it seemed, that was the last straw for our wonderful James Potter. "I HATE CHRISTMAS!" He bellowed, his face had turned a brilliant shade of red and it seemed he might explode, it reminded Lily of the Howler she'd seen Frank Longbottom with--his mother was unhappy with his girl friend...Or something to that effect, but either way, Frank had decided not to open that particular Howler...An explosion the result.

James huffed and plopped in his seat beside Sirius and across from Lily. "James? Is there something you'd like to share with the group?" Lily inquired, Remus and Sirius nodding along with her. 

"NO." James growled. Lily pouted, sticking up her nose. 

"James Potter, you won't tell me_ anything_!" Lily whined, emphasizing the anything, using her words to remind him gently about the touchy factor--that he still hadn't told her the specific reason he hated Christmas. 

"With good reason, because then you go pitying me and--ick! Doing that--that--girly thing!" James stuttered, waving his hands wildly, trying to gesture the words together.

Lily sighed, and rolled her eyes in exasperation, "James, what girly thing?" 

"You know, whenever someone tells you something, they don't particularly like about themselves or that it's pitiable, you--you just have that _thing_ you do." James tried to explain, frustrated. His eyebrows knitted together in concentration. "You...Well--remember when Olivia's Owl died? You got all--motherly and stuff...It was--disturbing! Your known as the mother hen of Gryffindor!"

"Mother hen of Gryffindor!?" Lily demanded, she hadn't known about _THIS_ particular nick name.

"Yes, that's what everyone calls you when you aren't around!" James snapped.

Lily thought this over for a moment. "There's nothing wrong with being concerned about your fellow house mates." Lily said, getting up, hands on her hips. 

"Yes there is--like when you go that step_ too_ far!" James said, standing up as well, crossing his arms in defiance at her. 

"Whatever Potter! See you in 5 minutes!" She barked, stalking out of the room. 

"5 _minutes_...?" James wondered, taking his seat again, and starting to eat.

"Before you got here, Lily had said she was going to go to the bathroom terribly--but you showed up and she held it..." Remus explained, finally daring to speak. Whenever Lily and James conversed, everyone had a tendency for getting quiet. The tension between them, was so powerful you just_ had_ to watch. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

It wasn't much later that afternoon, when Lily was walking down the corridor in search of James that she heard voices. She quickly recognized them as Sirius and Remus', they were conversing quietly, and she was about to announce her presence, when she heard just what they were talking about, and decided it'd be useful if she listened, standing behind a rather fat statue.

"James and his stupid hatred of Christmas!" Sirius grumbled. "You know, Christmas isn't my favorite day of the year either , but don't you think he took it a bit too far?"

"I know...refusing to send his Aunt a Christmas card--even when she clearly hinted that she wanted one." Remus sighed unhappily. "James is one sorry sight."

"Yeah, almost getting killed on Christmas will do that to you." Sirius quipped.

Lily decided, that she'd heard enough and would feel like a felon if she didn't stop listening right then and there. She stepped back...So James had almost been killed on _Christmas_? And he was upset today because his Aunt wanted him to send her a _Christmas Card_? Now, that's just silly. 

She snuck off away from the two speaking Marauders, and slipped away.

Her curiosity, had now reached a new level. She wanted desperately to know how James had almost been killed...She remembered all the Christmases with James--none had there seemed anything obvious of his just having a close contact with death.

First year...That had been terrible, and 2nd hadn't been any better...but James hadn't liked Christmas even a bit since...

That's when she remembered...Her worst Christmas! _First year_! Oh she could still recall it so _effortlessly_! 

The awful presents...Going to talk to the Marauders--and REMUS, Remus had been _injured_! It was all coming together...In that unorganized fashion, that all hypothesizes do. 

_If Remus had been injured...It probably had some involvement in James' scrape with death! It _had _to! They'd seemed so defensive! There must have been something behind it...Maybe James and Remus had been attacked? Or maybe Remus got there just in time to save James from some dangerous creature! _

The endless possibilities began to fill her head as she walked down the corridor toward the Gryffindor Tower. It made sense too, James and Remus in a life or death situation on Christmas, _equals_ none of the Marauders liking Christmas anymore... 

She analyzed the situation some more. Remus, Sirius and Peter still _fairly_ liked Christmas--they didn't hate it_ nearly_ as much as James--so whatever had happened, had probably hurt James more then the rest of them. It could have just been Remus and James--or just James, and Remus really had just fallen down the stairs like they'd said back _ then._..

_What could have happened?_ Lily thought to herself. There were so many things the Marauders were secretive about, they were such a tight knit group, nothing could get one of them to tell a secret of another in their group. _No one really wants James dead but Snape or Malfoy...So, maybe it was an accident of sorts? A quidditch accident, I can almost see James falling off his broom--no, he's too good at flying to do that. Possibly a potions accident? The Marauders were always creating things, maybe once--something went wrong? Maybe James spent the whole night in the Hospital Wing? _

Lily didn't know anything that had happened Christmas Eve or Christmas night--she's spent it in her room so, no information could be gathered from those parts of the day. _Poor James though, almost getting killed on Christmas! I would just_ die if that wasme_! Oh--that's funny..._

Lily was taken from her thoughts abruptly when she heard someone call her name, she turned and saw James standing with a sheepish grin on his face. "Lily, finally you answer! I've been calling you for a few moments now!" 

"Sorry..." Lily said, a guilty expression on her face, her face heating up with embarrassment. She felt suddenly very uncomfortable talking to him, considering she had just been pondering his _ "death"_ for the past 10 minutes. "Um, what'd you need?" Lily inquired.

James stopped staring at her, and shook his head--clearing his thoughts Lily assumed. "Oh--well..." James squinted his eyes, taking off his glasses and cleaning them absentmindedly. "I forget." 

Lily snorted with laughter, she wrung her arm through his, it was becoming a slight habit. "We're going to have to plan a new system of keeping out the cows!" She giggled and James chuckled along as well--turning a pinkish color. Because of her arm in his or her giggling, she wasn't sure.

She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked down the corridor. "Maybe this time we should try an automatic transfiguration charm! I don't know anyone in our year who can get through it! They walk past your door and are automatically turned into a 'part something'. Half horse, half chicken..." James suggested.

"Half cow..." Lily added with a smirk on her face.

James shuddered, "Not a nice combination." 

"Yeah." Lily nodded in agreement, and a thick silence fell over them, only their steps and breathing could be heard.

"Hey, I've decided I'll tell you why I was so ticked off earlier." James said off-handedly. 

"Oh, what?" Lily asked, pretending to not already know from her experience with Remus and Sirius. For a second she thought James had caught on, because a curious look crossed his face, but it was gone in a moment. 

"She was hinting at me to send her a Christmas Card! ME? Send _HER_ a Christmas Card? It's laughable!" James said bitterly. 

"Um...James? Why don't you just send her the card?" Lily asked tentatively.

"Would you send some rotten old lady a Christmas Card? She ignores me all year, and then suddenly owls me in request for a Card_!_" James was furious now, and was gripping her arm quite tightly. 

"I don't know...I didn't know old ladies could be rotten!" Lily snapped, taking offense. She hated it when James got angry like this, and being on the receiving end of his anger_--it scared her. _

"Lily! You don't know anything about ME or my Aunt! So just stay out of it!" James growled. That comment struck a nerve in Lily, it _hurt_...

"Why'd you tell me if you didn't WANT me to know then!?" Lily shrieked, stepping as far away as possible from him. She rubbed her arm--he'd given her a bruise...

"Well--I _was_ getting to another point!" James hissed, his eyes were filling with that same fire Lily had seen the other night with their encounter with Snape. 

"What point was _THAT_?" Lily demanded, her hands balling into her fists. She was trying to keep her own anger under control at this point, but mixing her rage with curiosity, seemed to do the trick. 

James took a deep breath, his chest heaving trying to keep his anger dominated. "Lily, when my Aunt wants a card, it means she wants my _presence _there as well! A card--it means she wants me to_ bring_ the card to her!"

"James!" Lily bellowed, she was finding herself at that place of anger--when everything around you is buzzing out of vision and all you can feel is this anger and the pounding of your heart in your ears. "Why do you overreact, just because your Aunt wants you to **visit **her?!" 

"Because I _hate_ her!" James said viciously, and Lily could see he was shaking with fury, not much different then herself. 

"James! You are so _THICK!_" Lily gasped, in utter shock. "Whatever she's done to--hurt you or _whatever!_ She's probably--trying to make it up to you! Why do you always push away any love someone gives you!?" She was hardly forming words she was getting so frustrated with this hard-headed boy.

"Why?! Why would she do _that_! She hasn't spoken to me since my parents were murdered! She let me go off to that stupid-_-Orphanage_." James whispered that last part, and there was a hush after it. 

Lily had had _NO_ idea about James living in an Orphanage...That was terrible. Murdered parents? It was true, she really didn't _know_ that much about him, but it wouldn't keep her away from him--_helping _him that is.

"Don't pity me." James said, his voice flat--but a deep fury was about to bubble out. She could see it trying to break out of it's cage. "I don't want your pity--or anyone _else's_!" He cried out, and stormed out of the the corridor.

Lily took a deep breath, too many things were getting thrown at her at once. She--she needed to think. Walking was probably the best way to get that done...But she knew that James did the exact same thing, so she went back to her dorm at the Gryffindor Tower, there she plopped on her bed and stared out the closest window, surprised to see James through it, pacing around the lake in a mad-man fashion. Probably trying to calm himself down too.

There was so much more about James then she'd thought. So many more problems...She couldn't fix them all, though she wanted to. She couldn't turn James life into a fairy tale. She didn't know _what _ she could do. He was such a stupid git sometimes--really, that fight was useless...He was just taking all his hatred on his life out on _her_. It was unfair.

She had to admit though, even if James was a pain in the arse to be around sometimes, it always made her life a bit better, to know there was someone out there who's life was a hell of a lot worse then hers...

That's when an idea clicked into her mind. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

**_A/N OH, sorry, Lily and James had another argument--but, well...It got some information out of James, didn't it? Anger happens to make James spill the Bertie Bott's every flavored beans to Lily. I can't tell you the idea Lily's just had--but it's a unique...Kind of a funny one. _**

**_The next chapters, are fairly controversial. Their are many different versions of the song 'The 12 Days of Christmas', at the ending I've always been rather confused at what is what--12 drummers drumming, or 12 pipers piping, or 12 lords a leaping? Well, just warning you on that. 9 ladies dancing is next, either way. _**

**_That song didn't go very well with this chapter...But does it look like I care?? No. He-he-he._**

**_Chapter 9: _**

**_We find out what the idea Lily had was. I'm thinking of something BIG happening between Lily and James...But I'm not positive yet. It might have to wait until chapter 11 or even possibly 12. Things are kind of iffy now, because before I'd had them previously typed and ready...But now, it's taking some time...Chapter 9 WILL have hints of L/J romance, more from Lily I'm hoping--since I think James' are more plainly obvious. _**

**_Thanks SO-O-O-O-O-o-o-o-o-o much for all the reviews! I could have cried! Just 20 more...that's...Around 270. I can't believe you guys gave me 40 more then I asked for! I was so shocked! I was all giddy and happy too! I can't believe you all like this story THAT much. _**

**_*Prances around delightedly* Well, I've got to go to bed, because--well that prance made me feel a bit sick AND I'm feeling weak and tired and grumpy-ish because my stomach hurts still (it burns it burns!) and well....Yeah, it's not nearly as bad as that one time I got that infection though and had to go the the emergency room. EEP! That sucked--err...I'm rambling, when I'm happy or hysterical I ramble..._**

**_I'm really ticked I got sick too! I was all happy and fine for awhile, until I ate that grilled cheese--that's all I ate today, and well--it was a bad idea, because now I feel awful!!! I HATE BEING SICK...Er...there's that rambling again._**

**_270 reviews would really make me happy though...:-)_**

**_I love you all to death! I mean really...seriously--siriusly, lol--whoa...This illness is making me crazy!! _ **

**_Merry Christmas! In...Well, if it was tomorrow, it'd be a week away!!! _**

**_~REVIEW~ EAT GINGER BREAD~ AND HAVE LOTS OF MISTLETOE ACTION!~_**

**_*~Sierra~*_**


	10. That Christmas Feeling

**Disclaimer:** Story inspired, also by Dr Seuss' book 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'

**_A/N Upon reflection on Lily it seemed to me that she was coming off a bit...Hmm...The bluntest way to put it--she appeared to be coming off a bit Mary Sue. I'm ashamed to admit that I have committed such a crime, but it seems I have...She has faults and such...But...She still seems...INHUMAN. What do you all think? I'm trying to make her human, but I don't want her acting like a total--Erm...Snot (that's a PG word there) either. So, advice is nice._**

** AS I SAID _the next chapters are VERY controversial. I had at least THREE different reviewers tell me THREE different versions of the song 'the 12 days of Christmas', on said '10 pipers piping' the other said, '10 ladies dancing' the other said '10 lords a leaping' I just picked which ever one I liked best and went with it._**

**_Why can't the _'12 Days of Christmas_' be easier to decipher._**

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**Mr. Grinch **

_James Vs. Christmas. Will James Potter Finally Get In the Christmas Spirit?_

By 

_Sierra Sitruc_

That Christmas Feeling 

_How I love that Christmas feeling  
How I treasure its friendly glow  
See the way a stranger greets you  
Just as though you'd met him Christmases ago  
  
Christmas helps you to remember  
To do what other folks hold dear  
What a blessed place the world would be  
If we had that Christmas feeling all year _

**Chapter 9**

4 Days Until Christmas

Lily felt like she was in a ballet, as nine ballet dancers spun around her dorm in time. It was a lucky thing all the other beds were gone for the holidays--or else this situation could get ugly...James and some other prefects said it was better that way--she didn't remember why. _ No,_ she scolded herself,_ don't think about James, because then you'll just end up** forgiving** him. You will forgive him THIS time, when he says_he's** _sorry._**

"_Infinite Incantetum_." She said, getting busy getting the dancers to disappear, when they were all gone, she set about planning what to do for James--okay, she was doing something nice for him, but in the end it would benefit her as well, so she wasn't forgiving him....Or so she _thought_. 

Lily in complete truth, had no idea exactly how the idea had just come to her...It seemed to make sense, to_ some _extent. She was hoping it worked...and maybe even got James into the Christmas spirit--or feel the Christmas Spirit...she wasn't sure exactly which she was aiming for anyway. You can't really 'get into' and feeling. Maybe, she wouldn't be able to do anything for James, but Lily had never been a quitter and today she would not quit--she would make James feel the Christmas Spirit--if she had to shove cheer and good will to men _down his throat. _

**~*~**  


James was suspicious of Lily. All that day, she had been sneaking around with..._the Slytherins_. They of course, kept putting her off--screaming, yelling, arguing, and once or twice, punching. Or, Lily had been doing that. James found it all good fun, watching her beat up on a fellow fifth year of Slytherin. Tub of guts she was...And Lily took her down with one good charm! James found it all amusing...

James found Lily an annoying, pesky little person--she was like his good sided conscience--the angel, and he didn't like it on little bit. _Stupid Lily and her--good--goody-ness!_ He couldn't even insult her well! Well...He could...He just felt terrible afterwards. Every time he was around her--she made him want to be a better person then he really was...Great _Merlin_! She made him _want_ to_ like_ Christmas! 

Then of course...Their arguing...He couldn't explain his temper, but he did always feel awful after yelling at Lily. She made him tell her things...That he would never tell anyone else, besides the Marauders. How she did that? He had no idea. Lily puzzled him to pieces! 

It flattered him though, that she was always trying to help him. Make him like Christmas and get in the Christmas spirit, James wasn't sure exactly if he could get in the Christmas Spirit--how do you 'get in' to something that's not really tangible? 

Now that Lily was acting like a Marauder--now it seemed she was taking notes on what the Slytherins were telling her..._Oh, there she goes to the Ravenclaws with that little notebook. I wonder what she's scribbling down_? James continued to watch Lily from his spot at dinner in the Great Hall. She hadn't said a word to him all day. _What--does she think _I_ should say_ I'm _sorry?_ He wondered. James didn't ever say he was sorry, but then again--Lily hadn't asked for him to go off on her, and James had started the entire conversation of yesterday...

_What is wrong with me?_ James griped. _ All this confusion is Lily's fault, I'm going to have to sort this out_..._I'm not sure how yet, but when I do--Lily won't know what hit her_.

Having some--freakishly messed up plan in his head, James cast his eyes away from Lily, knowing that the staring would soon become blatantly obvious.

What was she up to? James wondered once more, before Lily finally came back to the Gryffindor table, tucking the notebook in her robes, away from James.

~*~

Lily smirked from her position at the Great Hall table. James has been trying to find out what she'd been up to for the past 10 minutes, and she was, not responding in the least bit. She was listening to Dumbledore give a last minute announcement, "...10 O'clock tonight."

She ate some more, and then got up from the table, and was pleased when James followed her, continuing his constant questioning. 

"Lily? Come on! What have you been up to? What are you doing with that notebook? Are you dating one of those Slytherins? Or the Ravenclaws? TELL ME! Just say something...Anything!" James pleaded. 

Lily pretended to not hear him.

"LILY? Are you in there? Hello?" James tried once more. Before more could be said, they'd arrived at the Fat Lady, where Lily gave the password, and they entered the common room.

Lily took a seat beside the fire, and James followed suit, watching her. 

With a quick movement, Lily pulled out the notebook--James lunged for it, but Lily ducked out of his way. "James? You think your life is awful don't you?"

"Actually, yes--but what does that have--." James' question was cut short.

"Really? Do you think that...Anyone's life would be better then your own?" Lily asked again, in a superior tone, James knew he was getting trapped into something, but didn't really think to care.

"Yes! Now, will you give me the notebook?" James held out his hand, and was shocked when it was filled with the red and green notebook.

With that, Lily left him to read.

~*~  


James stared at the book for a moment, before tugging it open and looking at it. It was filled with three pages of Lily's tiny scripted handwriting. He red the first small paragraph.

_Horace Parkinson--_

_Death Eater parents, both currently in Azkaban. Is fated to become a Death Eater himself, this Christmas, instead of having a home he could go to for the holidays, he had an Uncle who apparently beats him. _

_Eliza Binns--_

_Related to Professor Binns, the most boring teacher in the world. People make fun of her daily because of it, saying things like 'Eliza is Binn's Twin' (Honestly, I don't get it). It obviously hurts her a lot, because a roommate complains about her crying herself to sleep last night. Eliza has one friend...Professor Binns._

_Serene Snape--_

_Hated by the whole school just because her cousin is Severus Snape and to make matters worse, she lives with her uncle who abuses her and Ministry Officials are too afraid of him to do anything about it._

Lily continued to list horrible situations--some of which, James found gruesome. He'd never actually thought about what anybody else's lives were like, he was just centered on his own life. Maybe Lily was right...He _was_ thick, and not to mention _selfish_. 

"Mr. Prongs, your a selfish git, get used to it." James muttered to himself, the word 'selfish' tasting bitter to his tongue. 

"Mr. Padfoot would like to add to that, yes you are a selfish git, Mr. Prongs, but we love you anyway." Came a teasing voice behind him, James whirled around to face two of his best friends, Sirius and Remus.

"Mr. Prongs would like to say that he didn't know anyone else was here." James said. "Mr. Padfoot, Mr. Moony--what have you been up to?"

"Mr. Moony has been in the library, _studying_." Sirius said, shivering. 

"Yes, and Mr. Padfoot was in the kitchens--fattening himself up before Christmas got here, so the pants his aunt is going to send him, won't fit him anymore."

"Mr. Padfoot refutes, that those pants are going to be gruesomely--handmade." Remus snorted with laughter at this.

"Ahem. Let's get to Mr. Prongs' problem, shall we?" James asked grumpily.

"So, Mr. Prongs is a selfish git--what else is new? Everyone knows already, don't we, Mr. Moony?"

"Quite right, Mr. Padfoot." Remus heartily agreed. "Mr. Prongs, don't feel fretful, we all know of your bouts of stupidity, and your selfish--." Remus stumbled for the words.

"Git-ness." James grunted helpfully.

"Right. Nobody cares, they accept Mr. Prongs as he is--because Mr. Prongs has a lot of other good attributes too." Remus said, knowing exactly what had that sulk set on James.

"Yes, Mr. Padfoot would like to list that Mr. Prongs is smart, kind, had nice glasses, and his invisibility cloak is quite nice--and Mr. Padfoot is going to stop listing because he fears for his sexual preference." Sirius said just as Remus gave him a kick in the shins.

"Mr. Prongs, kindly asks for Mr. Padfoot to stop fooling around." James said gruffly.

"Honestly James," Remus said his voice firm. "Don't worry about it, your a good person--a little self-centered and selfish sometimes, but all around, your a great guy, so don't _worry_ about it. You still have people who love you around, to accept you as you are--Gods, even LILY doesn't think your all bad and you hate Christmas!" Remus said reassuringly.

"Really?" James said, raising an eyebrow.

"Really."

"Okay, that's fine then--I'm off to talk to Miss Evans...I think I have an...apology of sorts to make." James said sheepishly. 

Remus and Sirius made identical wolf whistles. "Go get your _la_dy Prongs!" Sirius rooted, and James flushed and made a rude sign with his hand, before stomping up the stairs to the dormitories to talk to Lily.

~*~

Lily heard a knock on her dorm door and instantaneously knew who it was. "Come in James!" She called from her bed, where she had her holiday homework strewn about. 

James came in through the door, looking a bit embarrassed. "Um...You feel like talking Lily?" His voice coming out a bit shaky.

"Maybe...If what you're planning to tell me, involves an apology." Lily said feinting thoughtfulness.

"It does." 

"Fine, sit down then." She said, and patted the empty space of bed next to her. 

"Lily... I shouldn't have yelled like I did at you yesterday." James started. "I_ am _a _thick_, _selfish_,_ self-centered_ **git**--but, still it didn't give me the right to go off on you like that. You...You also made me see, with the help of that notebook, that my life isn't all that bad after all. It could be worse, like my parents_ could _be in Azkaban, I'd rather have them_ dead _then in there--and my Aunt could be abusive to me and--I could have no friends at all. I have some of the best friends a guy could ask for--Remus, Sirius, Peter--_you_." James blushed a bit at that, as did Lily.

"James...I don't know what to say." Lily whispered, shocked that he'd actually given her a decent apology, and such a sweet one at that.

"Don't say anything then." James whispered back. They stared at one another for a moment, before Lily took James' hand and pulled him out of the room. "Lily. We've got to stop this--you know, the '_grabbing my hand and running out of the room_' routine." James managed to mutter, before he was tugged down the stairs at a great speed. 

"I can't believe I almost forgot!" Lily grumbled to herself. 

"Forgot--what?" James huffed, as Lily pulled him through the portrait hole and through the halls of Hogwarts, going higher and higher. "Are we going to...the_ Astronomy Tower_?" James asked in an incredulous voice. 

"Yep." Lily answered shortly, and was too busy to notice James' eyes going very wide behind his spectacles and the fact that his palms were rather sweaty.

"Lily." James voice came out a bit squeaky. "You have NO idea how that sounds do _you_? Tell me you don't!" James was a bit on the hysterical side.

"I know exactly how it sounds, and no James, there will be no snogging between us--_tonight_ anyway." Lily said distractedly, and James started turning colors...White...Pink...Fire engine red...Green...

James was quiet until they got to the Astronomy Tower, and there Lily let go of his hand and ran to the balcony and looked over. "James do you have a watch?" She asked urgently. 

"Uh--yeah, why?" He said nonchalantly as he glanced at all the people who were already there, all looking over the balcony.

"What time is it?" Lily asked.

"Thirty seconds until ten." James answered briefly. 

"Perfect! I have good timing!" She announced proudly.

"For what?" James asked curiously. Then, James observed exactly what '_what_' was. "Wow." James breathed. 

The entire grounds of Hogwarts, had just lit up with lights. Fairies it seemed, simultaneously brightening in reds, greens, and whites. It was gorgeous. James had never seen anything quite like it before. 

The fairies danced around, several making shapes of famous holiday figures. Candy canes, Christmas trees, wreaths, holly, mistletoe. It went on and on, dazzling display after dazzling display.

Lily gripped James hand once more, as they breathed in the cold air--both were shivering as neither had thought of cloaks as they'd made their escape. 

It was at that moment, that James swore he felt it. As his and Lily's noses turned red, as their breath turned into small clouds and his classmates and him all stared at the beautiful Christmas sight, that he felt _it_. That feeling long ago lost... Lost in the same night, that his childhood purity had been stolen away. 

James turned to Lily, and whispered in her ear. "I feel it Lily, I...I feel it." Lily turned around to face him, with such a smile on her face, that James was sure his heart had stopped beating.

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** A/N Well, that's finished! Sorry it took so long...But *croaks* I have felt AWFUL all week. I missed four days of school! And, I'm really ticked off about it, because...Well, for one--it was fun week in most of my classes, and for another I'm going to be way behind.**

** So...There, you got it! James 'felt it' hee hee...that sounded so CORNY! But, I find it amusing, so...Ha ha! If you cannot tell, James likes Lily--and Lily's kind of liking him--but well...Neeh.**

** Chapter 10:**

** Err...Can't say much about it. It's HIGHLY confidential. *smirks* only about three chapters left though! And, well...Chapter 11 and 12 are going to be doozies! Then of course, a nice happy epilogue of Christmas--since this ends on Chapter 12 with Christmas Eve, Christmas *HAS* to be the epilogue...Because I say so. :-D I think you'll like Chapter 10...Sort of anyway.**

** THANK YOU REVIEWERS! You have NO idea how much I enjoyed reading all the reviews--all of your guys' help with the 12 days of Christmas, song, was very nice...But didn't work so well, because well--Good lord you all gave me different versions! I'm just going to pick one and go with it. **

** REVIEW! Because you have NO idea how much I appreciate it! How about...328? That's only 20--and I can't believe you guys gave me 58 last time...I was shocked! I can't believe you like this so much!**

** I'm hoping to get this next chapter out late on Saturday, so be on the look out! **

**_*~Sierra~*_**


	11. Let It Snow

**_A/N, since you guys only managed to confuse me a bit more in your reviews about the '12 Days of Christmas' song, I took a vote. _**

**_The rest of the story will proceed as follows (happily, this is how *I* always sang it too) _**

**_10 lords a leaping_**

**_11 pipers piping_**

**_12 drummers drumming_**

**_AND also, a note to _RavenAngel _don't worry, you didn't make a fool of yourself. I am who Victoria Weasley thinks I am!! Tell her I said "_HI!!!!_" I really miss the 'Storming Stags!' we never did get around to getting organized though... I don't get on HOL anymore (err...She'll understand what it is I'm talking about) because I couldn't ever figure out the new message boards *smiles sheepishly* well...I liked the old ones better--I understood _them_!_**

**_That really brought back old memories! I can't believe she's your sister! (Um...to both of you that is, I guess--I'm confused at who I'm addressing this to!) Well, anyway, that just brought a bunch of memories back to the--front of my head? The whole team ...Brittany, Rubeus, Victoria (of course), Fatmeh...err, I'll stop listing! If she wants she can email me--actually, anybody can, because I don't--well, I have no life, and I'm bored a lot! My email (to any of you who just want to talk too) is SierraSitruc@hotmail.com_**

**_Sorry for all you reviewers who have NO clue what I'm talking about..._**

**What a small world this is...**

_**A fast note, since chapter 9--or 10 you might say, this has been un-beta-ed so, bear with me here! Look out for grammar mistakes in the next chapter (unless my beta-reader and I can work it out fast enough...I'm rushing you know)**_

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**Mr. Grinch **

_James Vs. Christmas. Will James Potter Finally Get In the Christmas Spirit?_

By 

_Sierra Sitruc_

Let It Snow 

_Oh the weather outside is frightful   
But the fire is so delightful   
And since we've no place to go   
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!   
  
It doesn't show signs of stopping   
And I've bought some corn for popping   
The lights are turned way down low   
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!   
  
When we finally kiss goodnight   
How I'll hate going out in the storm!   
But if you'll really hold me tight   
All the way home I'll be warm   
  
The fire is slowly dying   
And, my dear, we're still goodbying   
But as long as you love me so   
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! _

**Chapter 10**

3 Days Until Christmas

Lily woke up feeling...invigorated, but thought it best to keep her eyes closed, in case it had all been a dream. She couldn't believe that she'd actually made James 'get into' to the Christmas spirit! She'd been floating on air since he'd told her--of course, afterwards, she'd had the urge to yell _"I told you so!"_, but she controlled herself, and...only whispered it to the door after he dropped her off at her dorm, last night. 

Her eyes flew open though, as she felt something bounce on her bed. "Wha--?" She gasped, as she spotted a miniature sized group of 10 lords, leaping around on her bed. "How cute!" She squealed, picking one of them up. She took in briefly what it looked like, because it quickly leapt off. 

They each had black hair, and carved noses--transfigured from wooden things, she assumed. There small outfits were gold and red--either, the boy sending her the gifts was from Gryffindor or was just supporting her house, in honor of herself. 

Lily felt an enormous ego lift, Lily knew that at times she was rather...egotistical. Most people don't believe girls even _can_ be egotistical, but Lily Evans was. 

She was flattered beyond belief, too bad _James_ wasn't this nice to her. James was starting to be quite friendly to her--but still she knew he didn't like her _that way,_ so why did it matter? 

Lily giggled as one of the lords bowed to her, and made quite the show of it too--trying to impress her, she believed. Then it strolled up to her finger, and held it in his tiny hand, and kissed it.

"How very sweet of you--but, it would never work out." Lily said, grinning at the gentleman. 

The lord looked depressed, and did a very drastic thing--he jumped off the bed. There was a loud crack, and Lily winced. "Oops." 

Lily crawled out of her covers and leaned over the edge, to observe the damage. The nine other lords peered over the edge too. 

"Reparo!" She pointed at the three piece wooden man with her wand (thankfully, it had been beside her bed), and it instantly put itself back together. "Sorry little guy." She said, and picked him up gently, and kissed the top of his head. 

She gathered up the lords and set them on the ground, before starting to get dressed--then thought better of it, as she witnessed the way the wooden lords were staring at her. "Excuse me a moment." She said quietly, and went to her bathroom to change.

Moments later she came out and saw James lying on his back, on the floor, playing with the 10 lords. They were leaping over him, in patterns.

"I think they like me!" James exclaimed, as one repeatedly jumped on his head.

"They're another gift from--well, I don't know who, but I think I'm going to go insane if I don't find out!" Lily grumbled, lying down beside James. 

James didn't say anything for a moment, "Whoever they are, they must really, really like you or something." The lords nodded vigorously in agreement. 

"Oh my!" Lily shouted out suddenly. 

"What?" James said, as a lord stuck it's hand up _his_ nose. "Argh!" James stood up slowly, knocking away all the wooden 'toys', his face a very bright red.

"Look at all the snow!" Lily exclaimed, pointing out the window. There had been a blizzard that night, it appeared--because the snow was so deep, that the trees from the Forbidden Forest, were buried under several feet of snow. "I love snow! I can't believe we've had so much snow! It's amazing!" Lily said, her bells jingling about in her red hair.

Suddenly, Remus and Sirius burst into the room. It was a good thing, that Lily didn't have a fetish for privacy, because everyone seemed to enjoy walking into her dorm unannounced. 

"Happy Birthday James!" Sirius and Remus cried. James rolled his eyes. 

"It's not my birthday." James growled.

"We know, we know! But _still._..What we came to tell you, was look at all the snow! There's so much--Dumbledore's not letting anyone outside, because he thinks they'll fall straight through and get stuck!" 

"Oh! Well, that just ruins my fun." Lily pouted childishly.

"Not to worry Lily, we have our ways of--sneaking out." Sirius said, with a quick wiggle of his eyebrows, pulling out the invisibility cloak.

"I shouldn't have said anything..." Lily said pretending to be annoyed, but was secretly pleased--she couldn't _wait_ to get outside. "Hmm...James, do you think Harry is still out there?" James snorted with laughter. 

"We'll have to see--but I'm sure that the snow's gotten him covered by now, either way--that wall will give him away." James said, as he and Lily ignored Remus and Sirius's odd glances. 

~*~

Once out in the snow, the four searched out Harry, finding only his head. "He's alive!" James yelled, and began to unbury him. 

"James, don't worry so much--it's just a _ snowman._" Remus said, shaking his head. 

"Just a snowman?!" Lily and James asked in disbelief.

"This is not just_ any_ snowman!" Lily said, putting on a show.

"No, it's not." James agreed enthusiastically. "It's Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter, eh?" Sirius asked, "So, Lily--this is the result of you_ befriending_ our _dear_ James here." Suggestiveness filling his voice.

Lily blushed, but didn't stop the game. "Yes, I just _threw_ myself at James as soon as we were alone! Right here in the snow too!" Remus and James snickered, and Sirius burst out into loud laughs. 

"Lily! I didn't know you--" James started to say.

"Could even think of myself in that situation?" Lily asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Not what I was going to say, but good enough." James said with a shrug. Lily smirked at him.

"So...We're in the snow...But we're not doing anything." Remus said calculatingly. Suddenly, Remus was hit by a rather large snowball.

"Now we're doing something!" Sirius shouted, as he dodged Remus handful of snow dust. 

"Black! Get your arse back here!" Remus called after Sirius, as Sirius ran like the dickens out of Remus' path--it was difficult to do, because they would sink down to their thighs at times as they ran through the snow. It was a clumsy affair, but altogether amusing.

Lily and James shook their heads, "I've said this many times, but I don't mind saying to again--James, your friends are weird." James didn't get the chance to reply, because Lily had just picked up a loose pile of snow and thrown it at him. James tried to retaliate, but ended up falling backwards in the snow--sinking quite far.

A muffled noise was heard, and Lily carefully walked over to where James was stuck. "What was that, James?"

James spluttered a bit, before saying. "I'm stuck! Give me a lift up!" 

"Fine, fine--keep your trousers on." Lily groused. She held out a hand for James to get a hold of, but as soon as their hands clasped together, and Lily gave a tug, she sank in the snow too. James found it rather annoying, as he couldn't see much of what was going on from his spot deep in the snow--but he could definitely hear Lily's giggles.

"Lily! This isn't funny!" James snapped, not as angry as he sounded--which Lily knew.

"I know! But--It is!" Lily said, laughing some more. (_**A/N** I had a complaint, that Lily was too giggly. Well--this aspect of Lily is held also by me...I'm rather giggly...To the point that people find it annoying sometimes, when I can't stop_.._.Ah, getting in trouble in class--what a pleasant memory...Not._) 

"How are we going to get up?" 

"Hm...Where's my wand?" Lily said, soothing her giggles down. "Oh here it is!" Lily exclaimed, giddily.

"Lily! Your acting like some--_ditz_!" James moaned in despair. 

"Oh, don't be silly! I only act like this when you're around." Lily mumbled to herself.

"What was that?" James asked.

"I SAID, _'oh don't be silly! I only act like this when you're bound--_up." Lily said nervously, but trying to sound convincing anyway--_that_ could have come out quite badly for her.

"Whatever." James muttered. "Help me out of here!" 

"Well, I have to get myself free first, you know." Lily said derisively.

"Hurry it up then! I'm cold! Where's Sirius and Remus when you need them?" 

Lily did a quick melting charm, and got up, finding herself in a waist high hole, she peered around, looking for the two missing Marauders. "It seems they disappeared." 

"I bet they're stuck too." James said, laughing shortly.

"You're probably right." Lily then turned and began melting the snow around James off. "It's a good thing our robes are charmed to repel water, or else we'd be ice cubes by now."

"Yeah." James said, his teeth chattering as he stood up finally, wiping snow slush of his bum. "Now I'm just a cold cube."

Lily giggled, "James--that wasn't very funny of you." 

"I'm not up to my normal standards today am I?" James said uninterestedly. 

"Hm...We better go look for Remus and Sirius, I do expect they're trapped some where in the snow." Lily and James headed off, both blasting melting charms to walk through the deep snow.

"Sirius! Remus!" James called. "Siri--." James stopped mid-yell because he'd just caught sight of--

_Professor McGonagall. _

"Duck!" Lily shrieked, tugging James down in their snow path. McGonagall couldn't see them, but she might stumbled upon their little mole tunnel like path. 

"Crawl Lily! Crawl!" James ordered, as they started retracing their path on their hands and knees. 

"I'm crawling, I'm crawling, but your cute arse happens to be in my face and is keeping me from moving faster!" Lily snapped, and stopped to cover her mouth, she could NOT believe she'd just said that!! James stopped his moving so quickly, Lily almost ran straight into that '_cute arse_' as Lily had so affectionately called it.

"LILY! You just said my bum was cute!" James wheezed out. 

"I did...didn't I?" Lily twittered. "Oops. It just slipped out."

"I feel violated." James said, grabbing his bum and turning around to sit. "Lily--you think my bum is cute!" 

"That's what I said, isn't it?" Lily said, a wicked grin on her face. James was appalled.

"I wouldn't expect that from someone like you!" James whimpered, alarmed at how Lily was acting.

"Well, when I think something or someone is cute, I normally say so." Lily said, smiling at him. "You're cute James Potter."

James gaped like a goldfish for several long moments before saying. "Um...Your pretty cute too Lily." James said, turning as red as Lily's hair. 

"I know James--you didn't have to tell me. Err...I mean--I know that you think I'm cute." Lily said, shrugging.

"What--h-how?!" James spluttered, continuing to crawl as they had their conversation, Lily followed.

"I have my sources--mainly, you-- You were rather loud the other day, in talking to Remus and Sirius. And I quote--this is what you said: 'That Evans, real cute but she's a mother hen if I ever saw one!'" Lily grinned proudly. "At the time, I was very embarrassed, but it's more embarrassing for you then me." 

"Right on that you are." James said, knowing he was caught. He was glad he'd got his blushing under control though.

"Hmm...So? What do we do about this?" Lily said, addressing the situation, while dusting snowflakes out of her hair with he gloved hands. Her periwinkle blue cloak was tripping her up, and the hood kept falling in her face.

"I don't know...Lily--are you still staring at my bum?" James asked uncertainly.

"Yes." Lily said, "In between looks at the inside of my hood that is." James whirled around, one arm supporting him. Lily had to admit, he look absolutely handsome in his deep scarlet robes, his hood was thrown back, and his cheeks were stained with red from the cold, his nose was pink and his eyes had a panicked look to them.

"Lily! Don't talk like that!" James said, flustered. 

"Why not?" Lily asked innocently. 

James looked even more uncomfortable. "It's--it's weird!" 

"Why?" Lily asked, nosing up to him, getting up in his face--her heart was pounding in her chest, but Lily could be quite bold when she felt like it, and now, she just so happened to feel like it. 

"B-because..." James said his voice getting lost in his throat. 

"Because, it makes you feel embarrassed? Nervous? Frightened? Childish? Happy? Giddy?" Lily asked quietly. 

"A little of all the above." James said, his voice cracking slightly, Lily was getting awfully close, and those feelings, plus a thousand more, were starting to attack him. James could hardly breathe.

"Me too." Lily said, with a half smile. "_Me too_." She repeated.

James was sure he was going to die from the closeness. Lily was embarrassing the daylights out of him--and he_ liked _ it! She smelled so nice, and looked so gorgeous--he was going to die! It was like a Veela's charm, but ten times worse. 

James could hardly contain himself, Lily was just sitting there, nose to nose to him and not doing anything. 

That's when James realized--he was the man in this scenario, _he_ was supposed to initiate things. 

_Oh courage, where are you when I need you? _ James thought desperately to himself. _Oh hell, courage or not--I can still be an idiot_. 

James closed the small distance between them, and touched his lips to Lily's. There was a small spark there--and something else. Something he wanted to get more of, he needed a bit more...James moved his position, so he had more control of what was going on.

Lily some how ended up directly underneath him, and it didn't occur to her to mind. Their lips were moving together, and slowly their tongues met for the first time. Lily and James got to know one another on a level they'd never stepped into before.

"Ahem." Lily and James were startled from the reverie by Professor McGonagall.

"Uh oh." Lily whispered, as James clambered off her, and she suddenly felt cold.

McGonagall looked furious as she spoke--well, furiously, "I'd ask you two to explain to me, what it is you've been up to--but that much is_ obvious_." 

***¤*.¸¸.·´¨`»*«´¨`·. ¸¸.*¤***

**_A/N Also, in response to a review, someone said that Lily was...well--basically, I think they said Lily was too sure of herself around James. Well...She's not really sure of herself--she's just comfortable around him. See?_**

**_Isn't it sad that my story is catching up with me...In times of events that is..._**

**_I'm hoping that snogging scene was PG acceptable. I've never been very good at those scenes, but oh well. SO--Lily and James--are more or less together...For now. I mean--don't get your hopes up folks, the fruit of love is never peachy. _**

**_Chapter 11:_**

**_Very top secret, :-D. I'll only tell you this, the song I've chosen for it is 'Blue Christmas' and that something is revealed about James..._**

**_Thanks for all the reviews!! I really appreciate it! The next chapter *might* be up tomorrow, but I'm not sure...'Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best' --The Chudley Cannons motto. I use that a lot..._**

**_I can't believe I'm getting so much positive feed back! But, we really need to work out how that song works--no, no, no, more help! LOL, I had some many people tell me how they thought it was sung...And of course, it was all different...It was nice that you guys tried to help anyway!_**

**_Review! Let's try for 20 again (err...why do I even ask? You always give me more then I asked for! :-) About 370? Please? Of course...400 would be nice...but 370 is good too!! :-D_**

**_Happy Christmas!_**

**_*~Sierra~*_**


	12. Blue Christmas

**_A/N Just wondering...But, any of you who've seen the movie 'The Wizard of Oz' did any of you think that...Well...There was some...hmm.._.feelings_, between Dorothy and the Scarecrow? Or was it just me? Because, since I was a little kid--I always kind of thought there was something between those two._**

**_Something else that's random...My dad was saying he felt sorry for the Amish, because they didn't know how much fun they got made of on TV, cause they don't watch it._**

**_*_¤*.¸¸.·´¨`»*«´¨`·. ¸¸.*¤***

**Mr. Grinch **

_James Vs. Christmas. Will James Potter Finally Get In the Christmas Spirit?_

By 

_Sierra Sitruc_

Blue Christmas 

_I'll have a blue Christmas  
without you;   
I'll be so blue thinking about you.   
Decorations of red   
on a green Christmas tree   
Won't mean a thing if   
you're not here with me   
_

_I'll have a blue Christmas, that's certain;   
And when that blue heartache starts hurting,   
You'll be doing all right   
with your Christmas of white,   
but I'll have a blue, blue Christmas.__  
_

**Chapter 11**

2 Days Until Christmas

When Lily got back from her detention, she'd fallen asleep flat on her face, in bed without changing clothes or taking any preparations to get ready for bed whatsoever. Her waking could have turned very unpleasant, had it not been for the beautiful music that reached her ears, it reminded her of the nymphs' songs she'd hear in fourth year.

She breathed hot air into the bed covers, before pushing herself up, and looked for the source of the music. There, sitting in one long row on her pillow, was 11 nymphs...piping, it seemed, as there was no other way to describe it.

As soon as they saw Lily looking at them, they disappeared with a poof. Lily shrugged, and got ready for the day--it was almost time for lunch _already_.

Lily reflected on what had happened the night before, James had kissed her--but if he hadn't made a move sooner, she would have kissed him...They'd been caught by Professor McGonagall, who had spotted four students disobeying the rules and had come to bestow punishment upon them. They'd gotten detention, James had to go scrub toilets with his tooth brush, while Lily, had to scrub the floors--thankfully with a floor washing utensil. Sirius and Remus had been sent to the Divination Tower, to do God_ knows_ what. 

She wasn't sure how things would end up between herself and James, she'd known for awhile that she was attracted to him--but anything more then that...She wasn't sure which road to take. 

They hadn't talked about it--last night they'd run into each other in the common room, but it had been so late, that both of them had just smiled at one another and gone up to their dorms to sleep. McGonagall had never given half day detentions before--and they were _tiresome_! Lily had felt like she'd just been stepped on by a giant.._.30_ times. Being that tired had made her and James both go to bed early, and she'd_ still _slept in really late.

Once ready, Lily headed down for lunch, alone. The Marauders slept a lot longer then her, this she knew--so she might not be seeing them for an hour or so more--their hunger would get to them, if anything did.

She noticed that Dumbledore had finally moved away the other tables, and just left on in the center of the Great Hall. 

Lily ate a small lunch, and was just about to leave when there was a tap on her shoulder, she expected James to be there--but instead it was--

"Professor _Dumbledore_?" Lily asked incredulously.

~*~

Lily was rushing back to the common room a bit worried--the news Dumbledore had given her, had shocked her and now she had to make a choice...Her thoughts were cut short however when she saw Remus and Sirius up ahead--they didn't see her, she heard Remus say, "_His birthday is in a day and neither of us have gotten him a present._" 

_What?_ Lily thought curiously--she was pretty sure she knew who they were talking about, but she couldn't believe it. She felt her temper flare. "What are you two talking about?" Lily asked, announcing her presence at the same time.

"Nothing." The two boys said in unison, looking nervous. 

"James' birthday is Christmas Eve? Why didn't anyone tell me?" Lily asked, feeling hurt and angry at the same time. 

"James doesn't celebrate his birthday--we give him presents without permission anyway." Sirius said quietly. 

"I still--_why_ didn't he tell me?"

"He hates Christmas Lily, and his birthday is Christmas Eve...Anything that reminds him of what--." Remus jammed his elbow into Sirius' side, to shut him up before he said more.

"I can't believe he HID that from me!" Lily hissed to herself. "Where is he?" She asked pointedly at them.

"Common room." Remus answered quickly, the look on Lily's face showing him, that she meant business. With that, Lily continued on her way, each step a little harder then the last. 

_James you git. _Lily thought angrily.

~*~

Lily ran into James, who was yawning as he came down the stairs from the dorms. "_James Potter_, you have a lot of explaining to do." Lily said in a dangerous voice. 

"Huh?" James asked confusedly. 

"Your birthday is _Christmas__Eve_, and you didn't_ TELL _me?!" Lily shrieked, half wondering where this anger was coming from, half knowing _exactly _where it came from. 

"Lily--I--well--there is no explanation for it, because I don't NEED one." James snapped, taking offense suddenly.

"Well, this makes my decision to go home, easy!" Lily growled viciously. 

"What--go home?" James said, stopping in mid-fury. 

"Yes! Go home, my Grandma's sick and my Mum wanted me to come home to help out a bit with dinner, as we're having a big gathering at home, something Grandma Ruthy forgot to add in her letter." Lily added to herself. 

"You can't go home--there's no way! Dumbledore won't let you!" James argued, rather flustered. 

"It was_ Dumbledore_ who informed me." Lily said haughtily. 

James saw red. "Fine! Go home! I don't care! You're just a pain in the arse to have around anyway! Unless we're snogging of course." James added with a sneer.

Lily felt tears burn her eyes. "Yes...well, good bye James--I hope your Christmas is as bad as bad as Snape's and that's _ saying something_!" She screeched the last part out like a banshee.

Lily ran to her dorm and slammed the door, and began to pack her trunk. She was going home.

~*~

"Lily's gone." James told Remus and Sirius, a note of despair in his voice. 

"Yeah we know--we saw her leaving." Remus said.

"She told us, and I quote 'See you in a few weeks, I'm looking forward to seeing you, Potter on the other hand, I hope his presents explode in his face'. A very-- un-Lily like comment." Sirius said, "What'd you do to her James?"

"Nothing! It seems the two of you had something to do with it though." James said, his eyes flaring with mistrust. "Why'd you tell Lily my birthday was Christmas Eve?!" They were the only ones in the school that could have told Lily, and so the culprits were easily caught.

"We didn't! She over heard us talking!" Sirius said defensively. 

"Thanks a lot guys." James moaned.

"What happened? Did you have a row?"

"Oh yeah." James said flatly. "We got into it and she said something about how her Grandma was sick and Dumbledore had informed her that she could go home, or something of the sorts. I got mad and told her she was a pain in the arse to have around, unless we were snogging." 

"James--that was daft of you." Remus said shaking his head, sitting beside James on his bed, and Sirius followed suit. 

"I know--but it just came out! I was finally warming up to the idea of Christmas...And she goes and leaves because she was ticked I didn't tell her when my birthday was! I'd been looking forward to spending Christmas_ with_ her." James said, looking upset.

"James, we know you fancy Lily a lot...We'll try and fix things, since we know it was partly out fault things got so messed up in the first place." Sirius said determinedly. 

"Thanks guys." James said with a sigh, as he stuffed a pillow on his face. 

Suddenly Sirius chuckled to himself. "What's so funny? James' love life is going down the drain and your _laughing_." Remus inquired, looking at his friend strangely.

"Well, I was just thinking. _Poor Peter_! He's going to come back from Christmas holidays, confused as anything." Sirius said. James lifted up his pillow and hit Sirius on the head with it. "That was uncalled for." Sirius grumbled, fixing his mussed hair.

"No, it wasn't." Remus and James said at the same time. 

"He's right though." Remus said, "When he left, we only knew James _kind of _liked Lily, but acted as if she was a dancing Christmas tree, standing in his way of presents! He'll come back and James is head over heels for her! Not to mention, James _likes_ Christmas now." 

"Our James is growing up so fast, isn't he?" Sirius said, a sincere tone--but it still earned him a glare from both Remus and James. 

"Shut up and help me think of what I can do for Lily! I have to make it up to her! I have to prove I still like her..."

"_Love_ her." Remus corrected with a wolfish grin on his face. 

"Shut up you git!" James said, giving Remus a powerful shove, and thus making Remus bump into Sirius, who promptly fell off the bed. 

"This can _only_ end in pain." Remus groaned, as Sirius climbed back on the bed and began hitting the lovesick James with the same pillow he himself had been hit with a few moments ago. 

James luckily, had many pillows and had more then enough to begin beating on Sirius in return. 

The difference between a girl's pillow fight and a boy's pillow fight, is that girls giggle the whole time, and boys intend to hurt and get a lot rougher with one another. 

"Come on Remus! Help your canine friend out!" Sirius yelped, as he defended himself.

"It's all fun and games, until somebody's handicapped!" Remus shouted, as he picked up a pillow and joined in on hitting James. "Mainly, you James." He added with a teasing grin.

"Yes, let's all beat up on the guy you get in girl trouble." James muttered, fighting them off. "Why'd Lily leave me alone with you blokes?" A lonely tone in his voice, that made Remus and Sirius lay off the teasing for the rest of the day.

~*~

When Dumbledore had told Lily that her Grandma Ruthy had taken ill, Lily had felt alarmed first, but Dumbledore had relieved her by informing her that it was nothing but the common flu, but it was keeping her Grandma from helping to fix Christmas dinner, and with 30 guests, it was going to get chaotic without enough food. 

So, her Mum had wrote a letter that pleaded with Dumbledore, to send Lily home on the train on short notice. 

Dumbledore had said, "_Miss Evans, this choice is up to you, whether or not you want to go. But, I'm sure your mother would really appreciate it if you did_." Lily had replied with a weak, "_I'll think about it._" Before leaving his office. 

She'd planned on making up a good excuse to not go, but then her row with James had caused her to make a spontaneous choice,_ to_ go home. She was regretting it now, as she took the_ long_ train home. 

It was quiet, just the sound of the train speeding across the tracks. No one else was on the train, but _Severus Snape_--who'd been called home urgently by his father for some reason or another. 

The snow had been a slight problem, but a melting charm on the tracks had done the trick. Now the only problem for Lily, was that she was bored as hell, and she still had six more hours to go.

After about an hour of sitting in self torment, Lily made up her mind to do the unthinkable. 

Visit _Snape_. 

She left her things in her compartment, and ventured out. 

She went looking for Snape, opening door after door, and finally arrived to one in the corner of the train when she heard a '_Go Away Evans_.' That sounded like Snape's irritated voice.

Lily opened the door, and asked, "How'd you know I was out there?"

"Your bloody bells! The whole school knows how to recognize you with those silly things." Snape sneered, his dark eyes searching her green ones interestedly. It seemed Snape wanted to know why she was here, and she was right. "What are you doing her anyway?" He asked, trying to act disinterested.

"I was bored--and you were the only one around." Lily said with a shrug, taking a seat across from him. Snape looked positively shocked at what she'd said. 

"What makes you think I'd want to talk to a_ mudblood_ like you?" Snape growled, his eyes flashing dangerously. 

"Boredom as well?" Lily tried, a hint of amusement mixed in with the hurt in her eyes. "What makes you think I'm so terrible anyway?" Lily inquired. 

"A mudblood you mean?" Snape said, an eyebrow raised, and Lily nodded. "Because you are one."

"How? What makes me so different from you? Is there any valid reason for calling _me_ dirty? What if I think_ your_ dirty because _your_ a pureblood?" Lily asked him seriously.

"Well..." Snape's eyes looked confused a moment. "I guess I can't stop you from thinking that, and you can't stop me from thinking your a mudblood." 

"Now we're getting somewhere." Lily said triumphantly. "So--anyone can think anyone's dirty blooded if they have a group they can belong in?" 

"Yeah..." Snape said uncertainly.

"So--this whole pureblood/muggleborn thing, is all rather silly, isn't it?" Lily asked, hoping against hope, that there was some good in Severus Snape.

Snape stared at her for a few long moments, before saying. "I guess you have something there." _Hallelujah! Snape has a touch of the Dumbledore goodness in him! _Lily thought happily to herself.

"Will you talk to me like a human being then?" Lily asked hopefully, for the sake of her boredom.

Snape looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess--if you _swear_ not to mention this to anyone." He said thickly.

"Right, right--wouldn't want it to get around that you were consorting with a Gryffindor---much less a muggleborn with_ red_ _hair_." Lily said, laughing slightly, and it seemed to break the ice between them. 

"Red hair?" Snape said, rolling his eyes. 

"Yes, red hair." Lily said confidently. 

They talked for a few minutes, just getting comfortable with one another, before Snape asked her, "Why are you talking with me? I think it would upset your boyfriend--_Potter._" 

"He's not my boyfriend." Lily said powerfully, making Snape blink stupidly for a moment.

"He's not?" 

"No, never was never will be! He's a stupid git, with no respect for a girl at all." Lily said crossly. 

"I'm starting to really like you Evans, too bad this will be the only time we'll ever talk. What's the _lioness_ done now?" Snape asked, leaning back in his seat with a smirk on his face.

He listened well as Lily ranted on about what had been going on between her and James--and what'd he said to her earlier.

"Potter's the reason your here then?" Snape snorted. 

"Yes, good riddance to him! I don't want to see his stupid bespectacled face ever again." Lily said fiercely.

"Oh that's a laugh! Watch you end up marrying the righteous idiot as soon as you get out of Hogwarts." Snape laughed, for the first time during the whole conversation.

"I resent that!" Lily gasped, but she couldn't shake the fact, that the idea appealed to her. 

"Until then though--shall we rant about every annoying thing we can think of about Potter?" Snape suggested, a good-natured ness Lily had never seen before, coming out of his voice. 

"Good idea..._Severus._" Lily said with a strong nod for good measure. 

"I thought so too--Lily." Snape said unsurely. Then for 20 minutes they ranted about the most annoying features about James they could think of.

"His hair is so messy."

"His glasses make him look like a geek."

"He makes the Professors think he's such a goody-goody, when he goes around breaking rules behind their backs each night."

On and on the list went, and soon they were laughing as they got more and more ridiculous--Snape probably had a lot worse insults he could say, but he refrained to in a gentleman likeness, for Lily's sake. 

An hour later, Lily came up with the question, "Why are _you_ going home?" 

"My dad asked me to." Snape said, averting his eyes.

"Why now?" Lily asked, trying not to be nosy.

"It's personal." Snape said, turning slightly crimson. And Lily suspected it had something to do with the Dark Arts, she wasn't stupid--she heard the rumors about Snape's dad, it was the same Uncle that abused Serene--which probably meant Snape was abused at home too.

"I hope your visit is more pleasant than mine." Lily wished for him, genuinely meaning it.

"Thanks--but, won't your visit be all _puppies and kitties_ like?" Snape asked. 

"Hardly, I haven't been home for Christmas in four or five years, it's going to be _awkward_. I'm really worried about it." Lily said, biting her lip, the nervousness she'd been feeling earlier coming back.

"Why are you going home now?" Snape asked gently, and Lily was starting to get the feeling that Snape fancied her--something she never would have dreamed of.

"My Grandma's sick, and my Mum's going to need more help now. It's necessary." Lily said with a shrug. "I'm just going to try and do what I need to, and stay out of everyone's way."

"Oh, I see." Snape said, he'd long ago lost his dark attitude, and was a lot more easy going then Lily would have expected him to be. She was glad they'd opened up like this--it really helped her feel better, she finally had a Slytherin's respect.

They talked for the rest of the long train ride, discussing school, Dumbledore, James Potter, and Quidditch. Severus, as Lily had started calling him, was a lot better company then she would have ever thought. She knew, that if the circumstances had been different, they could have been great friends. 

She also knew, that once school resumed and they saw each other again--things would be a bit different, but they could never talk like this again. Once an enemy, _always_ an enemy. 

~*~

Lily and Snape got off the train, and found their respective parents. Severus' father had dark hair, and a big nose just like Severus did, but he had a darkness about him, that frightened Lily, Severus didn't frighten her--annoyed her, and ticked her off, yes, but never frightened her. 

Lily hugged her Mum, and could just feel Severus comparing the two of them. The blonde hair versus the red hair, the green eyes versus the dark blue. There wasn't much in the looks department that made them look related, except for their figures, skinny and short. 

Severus got one moment to wave at Lily, the last moment of friendliness between them, and Lily waved back, a half smile on her face. She knew that she'd never tell anyone about her conversation with Severus Snape, and knew that Severus would do the same, but deep down she admitted to herself, that it was one of the most memorable conversations she'd ever had. There was something about Severus, that made him stand out in your memory, whether it be for the good or the bad.

**_*_¤*.¸¸.·´¨`»*«´¨`·. ¸¸.*¤***

**_A/N, Snape's out of character there, but...Oh well! It kind of came out of nowhere really...But that was fun! Terrible chapter I think--in more ways then one, but...I was rushed! I didn't get it done when I said I would! Tomorrow I'll try really hard and get this out--err--actually it's today! It's late and it's already tomorrow! _**

**_This chapter--Lily and James didn't get together, they fought instead--not a big fight, and hurtful things were said, now James has to fix it, because he was more at fault then Lily. I had to be careful with that, at first I started making Lily look like the bad one, so I made James lose his temper on her. _**

**_Snape and Lily are talking, so you find out a bit more what Lily's thinking--and it was more entertaining then if it was just Lily sitting by herself. PLUS, it finally ties up the ends, that Lily has always wanted a Slytherin to like her--and now one does. :-)_**

**_Is it just me--or do Remus and Sirius come off a bit--gay? I don't know--I was just thinking...:-p_**

**_ Chapter 12:_**

**_12 drummers drumming...The song is 'Baby Please Come Home' and Lily doesn't see James--and vice versa (obviously). It'll end the story, but--you know...It _ won't_. So, the epilogue will have to bring them together. :-D Or so you think...;-)_**

**_Thanks for all the reviews again! I can't believe you all like this story so much! I really can't! 418 for reviews? That's just 20 more about, so...Please? Chapter 12 should be out faster then this one is, because I'm going to stay up a bit longer and get it started. _**

**Review!_ And have a Merry Christmas!_**

**_*~Sierra~*_**


	13. Baby Please Come Home

  


**_ A/N I do know the difference between your and you're thank you, I'm not an idiot, but I make that mistake a lot whilst typing, because I'm rushing, and I haven't been using my beta-reader for these last chapters. J _**

** *¤*.¸¸.·´¨`»*«´¨`·. ¸¸.*¤***

** Mr. Grinch  **

_ James Vs. Christmas. Will James Potter Finally Get In the Christmas Spirit?_

By 

_ Sierra Sitruc_

  


**_ Baby Please Come Home_**

_ Christmas...  
The snow's coming down  
I'm watching it fall  
Lots of people around  
Baby please come home  
  
  
The church bells in town  
All ringing in song  
Full of happy sounds  
Baby please come home  
  
They're singing "Deck The Halls"  
But it's not like Christmas at all  
Cuz I remember when you were here  
And all the fun we had last year  
  
Pretty lights on the tree  
I'm watching them shine  
You should be here with me  
Baby please come home_

_   
They're singing "Deck The Halls"  
But it's not like Christmas at all  
'Cause I remember when you were here  
And all the fun we had last year  
If there was a way  
I'd hold back this tear  
But it's Christmas day  
Please...  
Please...  
Please...  
Baby please come home.  
_

** Chapter 12**

1 Day Until Christmas

Waking up in her own room was a lot different, from waking up in her dorm. The covers weren't scarlet, but instead a light blue. There was less snow on the windows, and the small room was lighted better, which meant Lily awoke at the crack of dawn.

She adjusted herself to her surroundings, recalling where she was--at home. Her mother and she hadn't talked much on the way home in the car, it'd been late and Lily had dozed off, then, once home, she'd crawled to her room to sleep--she hadn't seen Petunia or Grandma Ruthy yet.

Lily was still lying in bed, when their came a sound from the window. She sat up, pulling the covers to her, when she looked out the window there was an owl--she sighed in relief and opened the window and let in the bird. 

It was carrying a package it appeared, Lily took the package and the owl flew off out the window.

Immediately she noticed the drumming coming from the large box. Lily gasped in surprise, before grabbing the package and throwing it out the already opened window. If Petunia had seen the 12 drummers drumming, things could have gotten ugly. 

Lily shook her head, and put on some slippers and her robe, before heading down to the kitchen. 

No one was there yet, since they were all still sleeping, so Lily made herself some toast and orange juice. It was very lonely without the Marauders making racket first thing, and James coming in every morning... Maybe she shouldn't have gotten so mad about the birthday thing--but_ he _shouldn't have made that comment about the snogging. He was going to pay _dearly_ for that before any words of forgiveness came out of_ her_ mouth.

"Lily? Dear what are you doing up this early?" Came Greta Evans' voice. 

"Couldn't sleep--too much light. Hogwarts' dorms are darker then my bedroom here at home." Lily said with a shrug. "What are you doing up so early, Mum?"

"I needed to get started on some Christmas Cooking--and since you're up, you can help me." Greta said, smiling as she tugged on an apron.

They began getting out ingredients and materials they needed to cook pies, and Lily started making idle chit chat. "So, how's Petunia?"

"Just fine, she has a boyfriend now--Vernon." Greta said disdain coming out in her voice, and Lily wrinkled her nose.

"Vernon _Dursley_?" Lily asked in disbelief. "The boy she claimed was the biggest pig she'd ever met? What changed her mind?" 

Greta snorted, "I think it was '_His sophisticated business technique_'. I don't see it, but she's head over heels for the blundering idiot--he's coming for Christmas dinner, so watch out--no talking of Hogwarts or any magic. He's _ALL_ muggle, and besides, Petunia doesn't like magic anyway." Greta instructed.

"I know, I know--its standard procedure around all muggles in the Wizarding World, I know how to handle things Mum." Lily said, as she began poking holes in the pie crust (_store bought pie crusts_), while her mother worked on the batter. 

There was quiet between the mother and daughter for a moment, until Greta asked, "Any boyfriends with _you_ I should know about?"

"Well...up until yesterday I might have been able to tell you yes, but--no." Lily said sadly.

"What happened?" Greta asked, in her most motherly tone.

Lily sighed, "Well--remember James Potter?"

"The boy who hates you?"

"The very same--well--over the past week or so...I've been trying to get him to like Christmas--and I finally succeeded--and it seemed her liked me in _that _way--and I liked him, but then... Well, he neglected to tell me _something_, and we had a row--and then I came home." Lily said shortly. "That about sums it up. He said some.._.terrible _things, and well--he owes me one hell of an apology."

"Watch your language Lily." Greta said nonchalantly, as she stirred the mix.

"Yes Mum." 

"So, I won't have to worry about you running off with that Potter boy to get married?" Greta asked. 

"Why is it, everyone always puts me and James together in a marriage?" Lily asked no one in particular. 

"Maybe it's a sign." Greta said, smiling. 

"Oh shut it." Lily said half heartedly. "So...Do_ you_ have any boyfriends?" The mood changed drastically.

"I knew this would come up; _get the eggs dear._..No time like the present... Lily--I'm engaged." Greta said bluntly.

Lily stared at her mother for a few moments, two eggs in her hands. The eggs slipped from her hands and broke and Lily said shakily. "Engaged? To _who_?" 

"Remember that man...Donald Saberhagen?" Greta asked.

"Yes...He's the postman." Lily said. "Mum! You're marrying the _postman_!?" Lily exclaimed in horror.

"Uh huh, isn't it wonderful?" Her mother was bursting with happiness--and Lily didn't have the heart to argue about it.

"Yeah Mum...Wonderful."_ I can't believe that this can be a worse Christmas then 1st year,_ Lily thought grumpily.

~*~

"What am I going to do?" James moaned, still lying in his bed, refusing to get up. Remus and Sirius were trying to be supportive, but they were also planning what to do to get James out of this mess. They could only do so many things at once.

"Well, saying sorry is your best bet." Remus said from his spot on his own bed.

"Obviously, Moony, but it needs to be bigger." James said to his friend.

"How about you give her something--something she really likes." Sirius suggested, his voice hardly heard, as he was lying under his covers. They'd been up since three in the morning, when James had let out a yell of frustration, from a lack of good ideas. 

"Lily doesn't go much into the presents thing." James said. "I need something _good_!"

"What does Lily like?" Remus asked his despaired friends.

"Christmas." James said automatically. 

"Do something for her about Christmas for her then." Remus tried.

"No...I can't think of anything!" James growled, as he hit his head on his bed post.

"Maybe you could send her a card--signed Mr. Grinch--because, you know--." Sirius said unsurely.

"Shut up! That's not going to help me!" James grumbled. "No...Wait a second. Sirius! You're a genius!"

"Huh?"

"This can be fixed, that's what I'll do!" James said, off in his on little world, a plan hatching in his Marauding mind. 

~*~

"Petunia, how do you feel about Mum getting married?" Lily asked her sister, who was sitting at the kitchen table, peeling apples for a desert, a few hours after Lily's conversation with their mother. 

"I think it's a good idea." Petunia said haughtily. "I mean...Mum does need a man around the house. Four single women in the same small house can get--strange. Well, I'm not single anymore, but that's beside the point."

"I heard about that, congratulations on the boyfriend." Lily said with a smile, relieved at how easy it was to talk to her sister and mother...There was no awkwardness, it was easy to just fall into conversation. "I see how it's a good thing Mum had a boyfriend...But the postman? That's--like the kind of thing women gossip about at the beauty parlor!" 

"What is?"

"You know...A middle-aged woman, having an affair with the postman." Lily said with a small blush on her cheeks. 

"Normally, it's the milkman." Petunia said with a smirk. 

"Maybe, but, we don't have a milkman." Lily said jokingly.

"Right, so Mum settled for the postman." They were quiet a moment, before Petunia let out a moan and said, "Oh no! Watch our Christmas presents from him be stamps!"

Lily cringed. "That could be disastrous--imagine how much fun people will make of us knowing our step-dad is a postman!"

"Well--it's not so bad. That's only his_ part time_ job now." Petunia said. "You'll meet him at Christmas dinner; he's not as bad as you think."

"How'd you know I thought he was bad?" Lily asked, catching the slip up.

Petunia looked uncomfortable. "Well...It's just...You seemed upset with the whole idea. I mean--Lily, you dropped_ eggs_ on the floor." Petunia said narrowing her eyes at her younger sister, while tumbling an apple into a bowl. 

Lily laughed, "I guess I did overreact a bit." 

"A little? Hey, I'm the one who fainted when Mum told me...and _Donald_ was there! It was so embarrassing." Petunia confessed. 

"You fainted when you heard the news?" Lily giggled. "That's hilarious! I wish I'd seen it!" 

"It was awful! I woke up, and Donald's hovered over me, fussing over me like an over concerned puppy dog." Petunia said shaking her head. "He's a nutcase, but Mum loves him and that's what counts--_and _he's a nice guy too." 

"Right." Lily said.

"I'm done, come on--now that I'm done, do you want to go build a snow fort?" Petunia teased, bringing up something they'd always done when it snowed.

"Sure...Are we going to build a bookshelf this time too?" Lily teased back.

"How about a toilet? Wasn't that _your_ idea?"

"My bum was really cold after that." Lily said thoughtfully, as she and Petunia dropped of the bowl of apples in the kitchen and went to get their coats.

"Mum had been so furious that you'd tried to pee in the snow!" Petunia laughed, tugging on her navy blue coat, her blonde hair getting messed up by the fuzzy hood. Lily in return, did the same thing with her green coat.

"I was four and I hardly_ remember_ that!" Lily said in her defense. 

"Yeah, well I'm sure that if I dared you to--you'd pee in the snow again." 

"I only TRIED to pee--I didn't actually go through with it--my bum was too cold." Lily said, in mock irritation. Petunia threw her head back and laughed. 

"Maybe so, maybe so..." Petunia said, pulling on some gloves, at the same time Lily put on a scarf. 

"This makes me miss my cloak." Lily mumbled to herself. 

"Cloak?" Petunia asked with one eyebrow raised. "That sounds--kind of...Cool."

"Yeah--groovy." Lily said sarcastically, and they laughed to themselves again.

"That is the stupidest word ever--I don't know what makes people say it so much." Petunia said, with a shake of her head as they headed out into the snow.

"It's untouched." Lily noted, as she observed the snow.

"Nope, we don't play in the snow unless you're around." Petunia said, as she fell back spread eagle into the snow, and began swishing her arms and legs back and forth. "Help me up now." Petunia ordered, holding her hands out for her sister to grab. Lily took her sister's hand and pulled her upright, and they stared at Petunia's creation. "A snow angel."

"That's the closest thing to an angel you'll ever be." 

"I resent that!" Petunia whined, and then smirked dangerously and pushed Lily into a snow drift.

"Ack! Snow just went up my_ pants_!" Lily shrieked, jumping up and doing a little jig trying to get the snow out...The happy moment faded, as she thought about playing in the snow with a certain Gryffindor boy--remembering the day they'd kissed. Too bad James had to bungle things up. 

"What's wrong Lil? You look a little--upset." Petunia inquired.

"Just thinking." Lily shrugged, "It's nothing."

"It's about a boy isn't it?" Petunia asked.

"Yep, how'd you guess?" Lily wondered, shocked at her sister's intuition. 

"Mum told me some things."

"Mum tells you _ everything_." Lily said, rolling her eyes at her older sister. Lily had never been jealous of her sister and mother's relationship, because she'd had the same relationship with her dad--and if he hadn't died... Lily shook her self out of those thoughts. 

"Yeah--well, I'm around here more then you are. I come home for Christmas each year from _my_ school." Petunia said with a tiny resentment in her voice.

"Sorry about that--I just had a lot of things to do over Christmas break." Lily said casually.

"Oh, I see. So...about this_ boy_--who is he, what's his story?" Petunia asked, while dispassionately making a mound of snow to start their childish fort.

"His name is James Potter; he's infuriating, stupid, and arrogant." Lily said easily. 

Petunia gave her a long look before announcing, "You've got it bad." 

"I do not!" Lily said offended.

"You _do_!"

"How can you tell?" Lily demanded, giving in.

"The look in your eyes, you love him to _pieces."_ Petunia said, laughing lightly.

"I do not! He's an insufferable_ git_!"

"That's what they _all_ say--then, the next thing you know--they're married." Petunia said, as she and Lily managed to get up to parallel walls of snow.

"Not that married thing again." Lily muttered. 

The two teenagers managed to construct their lopsided fort, while Lily told her sister about what had happened between her and James. 

Lily wished that she had gone home for Christmas sooner, it wasn't too bad--a new step-dad would be interesting, and she'd only see him in the summers anyway. She liked talking to her Mum and sister…Life wasn't dreadful--the only real problem was that of James Potter and not knowing _who_ had sent her those gifts...

Speaking of the gifts...

"Lily? Do you hear--_drumming_?" Petunia asked suddenly.

"Um--no, I think you're hearing things."

"I'm not! It's coming from over there." Petunia went off to investigate, and in a matter of seconds came running back with 12 tiny drummers chasing after her. It sounded like they were playing a song from 'The Nutcracker Ballet'. "They're possessed!" Petunia bellowed, running into the house, Lily burst out giggling, falling over in the process and knocking over their fort.

It was at that moment, that she knew, everything would be fine…Just fine. 

** ¤The End¤**

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**_ A/N Ick...Writer's Block. I didn't like this chapter one bit! I mean...Yuck! I'm horrible at ending stories...Let's pray for the best next chapter!!_**

**_ Thanks for all the reviews guys! Review! We still have the epilogue--it'll be Christmas, and the gift giver will be revealed, Lily will meet her step dad and...It'll be interesting--to say the least...:-)_**

**_ Sorry it took so long to post...I thought this would be up sooner, because I'd planned to start working on this last night, but then I clicked something wrong in my front page and I would type and it wouldn't stop typing across the page, it wouldn't make paragraphs, one paragraph would be one big line on the screen--I fiddled with it for about 10 minutes, before going to bed, then I spent a part of my afternoon messing with it again trying to fix it. It was so much simpler then I'd thought...Which was pretty annoying in itself, oh well. _**

**_ Only...444 reviews, and I'll post it! Let's go for it! _**

**_ Merry Christmas Everyone!_**

**_ *~Sierra~*_**


	14. Santa Claus is Coming to Town

**_ A/N Funny thing here--I have A bell in my hair! I got it in a gift bag from people in my church..._**

**_ Petunia was rather *too * nice last chapter...Vernon was a bad influence on her, we'll say. Hee hee--funny, Vernon is my Grandpa's name...Petunia won't be so nice this chapter! :-)_**

** *¤*.¸¸.·´¨`»*«´¨`·. ¸¸.*¤***

** Mr. Grinch  **

_ James Vs. Christmas. Will James Potter Finally Get In the Christmas Spirit?_

By 

_ Sierra Sitruc_

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town 

_ You better watch out   
You better not cry   
Better not pout   
I'm telling you why   
Santa Claus is coming to town   
  
He's making a list  
And checking it twice;   
Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice  
Santa Claus is coming to town   
  
He sees you when you're sleeping   
He knows when you're awake   
He knows if you've been bad or good   
So be good for goodness sake!   
O! You better watch out!   
You better not cry  
Better not pout  
I'm telling you why  
Santa Claus is coming to town  
Santa Claus is coming to town _

** Epilogue**

Christmas Day

After having, what must have been the_ worst_ birthday in history, James Potter had disappeared. 

Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, said James Potter's best friends, had opened presents with him--and then he'd gone off mumbling something about _'Good Plan and Lily". _When they'd informed the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, about his disappearance, he'd chuckled, given them candy canes and told them not to worry--before sending them on their way.

Remus and Sirius stared at the Marauder's Map for about an hour, before giving up and drinking up their storage of Butter Beer. If James wanted to act like an idiot and get himself killed on Christmas for good, so be it--_they_ weren't going to save him.

Mile and miles away, in the Evans home--things were chaotic, Donald Saberhagen, turned out to be the clumsiest postman in history. Upon arriving, he'd been desperate to make a good impression on Lily and had ended up... Spilling eggnog all over her within the first five minutes.

Lily reassured him that it was fine, but he hadn't listened, and had tried to help clean her up and had thus made the situation worse by smashing his elbow into a pie. 

Lily and Petunia had shared a look that said clearly '_This man is a nutcase_'. 

Things calmed down around lunch time, they ate roast beef, and Lily showed her mother the five golden rings she'd received a few days prior as she explained the story of the mysterious gift giver, while leaving out the few magical parts of the story for Petunia and Donald's sakes. 

"Five golden rings...Whoever it is who sent you those, must be_ loaded_!" Petunia said, a hint of jealousy in her tone. 

"I bet it's that James fellow." Greta said with a smile. 

"No--he wouldn't..." Lily paused for a moment, thinking about it. If James had been the one sending her those gifts... It made sense to some magnitude, but there was still doubt. James had just happened to feel like going outside bright and early, that day she was trapped on the lake--and he always had his wand when she needed to be rescued. _Plus! He knew all those spells with the birds_..."He _could_ have though." Lily finished.

"When's Vernon showing up, Petunia?" Greta asked, changing the subject.

"Around five, he had to eat lunch with _his_ family--his sister wouldn't let him get away." Petunia said with a tinge of nervousness in her voice. 

"Oh, I can't wait to meet the bloke--another man around the house will be nice." Donald said, looking around at all four women that sat at the table. Greta, Petunia, Grandma Ruthy, and Lily--They were all sitting in the same order they always sat at with Christmas--with one minor difference. Greta sat to the right of the head of the table, Petunia on the left and Lily beside her, and Grandma Ruthy beside Greta--but this time, Donald took the head of the table, instead of their father. 

It made Lily uncomfortable--Like Donald was taking the place of her father, and he was, in the literal sense; but she decided it was good for them. It showed that they were moving on past the grief of losing their wonderful father.

"Did you like your present, Lily?" Donald asked Lily, breaking her from her thoughts. "I hadn't known what to get you--because I'd never met you before, but your Mum helped me pick it out." 

"Yes, it was lovely. Thank you Donald." Lily said, giving him her best smile. He relaxed drastically, relieved that she had like the diamond necklace...Who _WOULDN'T_ like a diamond necklace, that's what Lily was wondering. 

"I couldn't believe Aunt Rachel gave us what she did though." Petunia whispered to her younger sister.

"I know...She's still giving us those weird gifts." Lily said. 

"Yes--but didn't it get a little _too _weird?" Petunia asked, as Lily snorted with laughter, recalling the look on Petunia's face as she opened her present.

"I think she was just poking fun at us-- real coconut tops--complete with hula skirts. She must have just been kidding us" Lily muttered to her sister. 

"We should be in Hawaii; it must be nice this time of year." Petunia said.

"Actually, I wouldn't know." Came an excited voice from behind them--and Lily and Petunia whirled around to see their Aunt Rachel standing there, in a Hawaiian shirt, and bright orange shorts.

"Aunt Rachel!" The two girls cried, jumping up to hug their Aunt. Aunt Rachel had fiery red hair, like her brother and green eyes--she looked almost exactly like Lily in that aspect. They looked more like mother and daughter then Greta and Lily did.

"What are you doing here?" Lily asked, giving her own mother a look.

"Well, Greta wanted me to come down and meet her fiancé--so here I am!" Rachel said, laughing and taking a seat beside Lily.

"It's so good to see you! What have you been up to Rachel?" Greta asked her best friend. 

"Oh, the usual--I've taken to--taking pictures, which brought me to Hawaii." Rachel said.

"Do you have any pictures with you?" Lily asked. 

"I'll show you later." Rachel told her, and then added in a whisper, "When the muggle isn't around." Lily nodded, Aunt Rachel was the only other person in her family with magical blood--Lily's parents should have figured out Lily was going to be a witch, when she grew up looking just like her Aunt, and acting like her Aunt in some ways too...

They talked for awhile about what Rachel had done in Hawaii, and then retired to the living room to talk some more.

Around five O'clock, Vernon Dursley showed up, and Petunia's mood changed severely. She became this snooty person only concerned for Vernon's welfare. 

"Oh Vernon! Are you alright? It's so cold out! Do you want some hot chocolate?" Petunia cooed to her boyfriend.

"No, no--I'm fine." He said, as he took a seat on her couch near the fire place. 

As Greta and Donald got to know Vernon, Aunt Rachel talked to Petunia--leaving Lily to herself...She found her thoughts wandering to James. She was curious to know how his Christmas was going. He was probably having the time of his life with Sirius and Remus at Hogwarts. 

"Lily? Why don't you and Petunia go try on those gifts I brought you?" Aunt Rachel asked with an impish grin on her face.

"What?!" Petunia and Lily screeched at the same time. 

"In front of Vernon, Aunt Rachel?" Petunia whimpered.

"Yes--There's nothing to be ashamed about. You two are beautiful, there's nothing to be worried about." Aunt Rachel said with an evil smile.

"Yeah there is...Like my _ dignity_." Lily muttered, as she and Petunia picked up the hula skirts and coconut bras.

(**_A/N _**_I have a friend who got a coconut top as a gag from one of her friends who went to Hawaii with her band class. It was hilarious!_) 

They went to their rooms to change, and Lily set it down on her bed and locked the door, happy to have her own room now more then ever. 

Lily stared at what the Hawaiians culture had brought into her house. She could no believe she was going to put on the most revealing thing she'd ever worn besides a swim suit._ Well, whether Aunt Rachel likes it or not, I'm wearing shorts underneath this...and I'm changing out of this before someone_ important_ sees me_, Lily thought, agitated. 

"This is so _degrading_." Lily whined, sounding a lot like Petunia in the process. 

~*~

Moments later, Lily appeared outside her door--she was trying to cover herself up as much as possible, she saw Petunia doing the same thing across from her--and laughed herself silly. 

They looked like idiots.

"Let's get this over with Lily, I want to just--be humiliated, and be done with it. Never speak of this again--to anyone. I'm making you all take this to your graves!" Petunia hissed, and Lily nodded in _strong_ agreement. No one needed to know about this awful excuse for humor. 

Together, the two embarrassed sisters went down the stairs to the living room, where the family was waiting expectantly--for the_ show_ to start. 

Lily could feel her cheeks heating up in mortification already. 

Once in the living room, Petunia immediately sat by her boyfriend--who looked like he was infuriated by what Aunt Rachel had made his girlfriend do. "I can't believe she made you do that." Lily heard Vernon whisper to Petunia, all the while trying to look down Petunia's coconuts. 

"I think you two look _ adorable_." Aunt Rachel declared, as Lily hung her head in shame as she tried to hide inside the cushions of the couch.

"Can I change now?" Lily carped.

"No--I want a picture." Aunt Rachel said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She reached inside her purse, and Lily and Petunia exchanged looks of horror. 

"Rachel--do you really think that's necessary? I'm sure we'll_ all_ remember this." Greta tried to save her girls' pride. 

"Oh, don't be ridiculous Greta!" Aunt Rachel said, as she pulled Lily up and began instructing her on where to stand--and then Petunia as well. "Pose for the camera now--act like your doing the hula! It's Christmas in Hawaii!" 

Suddenly, all heads turned to the fire place--which was making a roaring sound and turning green. "Floo?" Lily whispered in shock...She'd used floo powder once to visit Olivia, but who else would be using it? Olivia didn't know she was home. _Dumbledore maybe_? 

There was a loud crash as a red clothed figure stumbled into the room through the fire, with a small velvet bag in hand. Lily took in the white beard and the Santa Claus outfit--but it_ just_ didn't fit together.

"Santa?" Donald asked, jumping back in shock--running into the Christmas tree at the same time, knocking Donald out--for the good of the people. 

"Oops." Came Santa's voice. His eyes turned to Lily, and she saw the look of confusion as he took in Lily and Petunia's outfits. "I hope this is the right house." He muttered. 

"Sir, I don't know what your doing here but--." Vernon started to say, but Santa interrupted.

"This is the Evans' home, correct?" Santa Claus asked, and Lily couldn't help but think she knew that voice--it was hard to tell though, because it was muffled by the beard. 

"Yes it is--what do you need?" Aunt Rachel asked suspiciously, though a glint of amusement was in her eye. 

"I'm looking for a one--Lily Evans." Santa Claus said, "I need to deliver some presents to her."

_"James_?" Lily asked cautiously, her mouth gaping. 

"No--Santa Claus." Santa said slowly, a joyful light in his deep brown eyes.

"James Potter, what are you doing in my _house_?" Lily asked, her hands on her hips--forgetting that she was wearing a grass skirt and coconut top.

Santa Claus sighed before getting down on his knees in front of Lily and reaching into his bag. "I need to give you some things." He said with a determined look. "On the first day of Christmas--your true love gave to you...A partridge in a pear tree." Santa whispered as he pulled out a statue of a tree with a partridge sitting in it. It was an ornament. 

"So it was_ Santa _who sent her the gifts." Greta whispered to herself. Vernon and Petunia stared at Santa and Lily with looks of outrage, but neither had enough courage to do anything about it. Aunt Rachel looked beside herself with delight. 

"On the second day of Christmas--your true love gave to you--two turtle doves." Santa pulled out two turtle doves. 

Lily sunk to her knees, and faced Santa eye to eye. She looked through his glasses, and saw the sincerity in his eyes. 

"It was _you_ who sent me those gifts. James--you_ idiot_!" Lily cried, hitting him on the shoulder.

"Hey! What was that for?!" James yelped, the mood ruined by now. 

"You--you--Oh, I'm going to have to forgive you." Lily muttered, as she pounced on him, throwing her arms wildly around him while placing a sloppy kiss on his lips. "This beard is going to have to go." Lily said, pulling off the elastic beard, "Beards never fool me James." Lily mumbled, as she kissed him thoroughly this time. 

Lily couldn't believe that James had done something so sweet and endearing for her, all that money and time he'd spent on her—she had to forgive the idiot. He may say some stupid things, but he cared for her. It also meant he liked snogging her too…

"Lils, you didn't let me finish." James protested into her mouth--both oblivious to Aunt Rachel rounding everyone up out of the room. Greta seemed reluctant to leave her fifteen year old daughter alone with that _boy_--but there was enough romance in her to let it go--just this once. 

"I thought I was only good to have around when we're snogging." Lily said with a bit of bitterness in her tone.

"No…Lily, I didn't mean any of those things I said." James said, looking into her eyes.

"Finish then." Lily ordered, sitting up on top of him. 

"Well--there's a lot of ornaments in there--but...Um..." James looked hesitant for a moment. James struggled to remember what else he'd had planned, "Damn those coconuts are distracting!" James sighed in frustration, and Lily turned about fifty colors as she tried to cover herself up. "Oh! What the heck!" James gave up, and kissed her again. 

Lily liked the way James kissed her; he kissed her--like he loved her. Maybe he did, she wasn't sure, but she knew that as long as she had his kisses she'd always feel loved. They were the kind of kisses that made her feel safe and at home. Like his kisses, were the only thing she needed to live. 

"I love you James." Lily sighed into his mouth, it took her about two seconds to realize she'd just set it out loud. 

"You do?" James squeaked, his arms tightened around her.

"Yes." Lily said, her voice less confident then normal.

"Good, because I love you too." James said, kissing her again.

They didn't need silly words to assure one another that they were together; they could tell by one another's kisses, that there was no one else for them. 

"Santa though James?" Lily asked him, smiling at _her _idiot. 

"I knew, that if I came in looking like an idiot in a big red suit, you wouldn't be able to kill me." James said thoughtfully.

Lily giggled, and continued what they'd been doing. _James is too good a kisser to kill,_ Lily thought amusedly to herself.

"I've got a question." James breathed, as they came up for air. 

"Hmm?" 

"What in the devil are you_ wearing_, woman!?" James asked, he'd been quite flabbergasted when he'd entered (just like Santa) through the fire place, to see her wearing such a revealing outfit...Not that he'd minded. 

"A present." Lily said, grinning impishly.

"From WHO?!" 

"My Aunt." Lily answered.

"You have one crazy Aunt." James said, and pulled her to him once more. 

A thought occurred to Lily, and she abruptly stopped kissing him, "James?"

"Huh?" James asked dazedly. 

"What do you think about Valentine's Day?" Lily asked him, James bit his lip before answering truthfully.

"It's a load of Hogwash. Made up just to make poor guys like me spend tons of money on their girlfriends and make idiots of them selves while they write horrible poetry."

"So...You hate Valentine's Day too?" Lily confirmed.

"Yeah..." James said weakly, wondering where this was leading. 

"That's fantastic! Because now I can make you like that holiday as well! And if it ends up like this did..." Lily said suggestively.

"You know Lily, if that's the case, I hate _every _holiday!" James declared good naturedly as he kissed his unannounced girlfriend. 

"Then I have my work cut out for me, but since it's you--it'll be_ pleasurable_." Lily said, giving him a kiss back. 

"I'm up for it then. Tomorrow's Boxing Day you know." 

** Happy Christmas!**

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**_ A/N, I didn't really like the ending...But, I couldn't think of what else to do! Oh well--they're together and we know who sent the gifts! _**

**_ I'm kind of glad it's over...It was hard work. Now I'll work on the rest of my stories..._**

**_ REVIEW! At the end of my stories, I never get a lot of reviews...People always get lazy at the end of the story, and that's when I want the most reviews! Let's go for 500! Please? AS my Christmas/Birthday present? _**

**_ *~Sierra~*_**


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